History Theatre / Giselle

[[quoteright:286:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/giselle_6.jpg]]

* ShrinkingViolet: Giselle is terribly shy - at least around people she doesn't know very well.

%%ZCE * ButNowIMustGo: The ending has shades of this.
%%ZCE * CrazyJealousGuy: Hilarion.

* TheFairFolk: The wilis, who are beautiful, etheral women who murder any man they meet.

* DrivenToSuicide: In an early version of the ballet, Giselle died by stabbing herself with Albrecht's sword. This is kept in some later productions, but it's made clear that the sword didn't kill her.

* WhatAnIdiot: In-universe, this is what Hilarion is thinking in some versions when he summons Albrecht's hunting party with the hopes that the resulting news will really lead Giselle to make up her mind (she thinks Albrecht is a peasant from a nearby village, and Hilarion thinks revealing his secret will let her know she's about to marry into nobility). [[spoiler:Turns out, he's even more of an idiot than he thought ''she'' was.]]

%%ZCE * DoesNotLikeMen: The wilis.
%%ZCE * DoggedNiceGuy: In the more sympathetic portrayals of Hilarion, he's characterized as good at heart, and in love with Giselle, and keeps pursuing her despite that.

%%ZCE * EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:Albrecht, and even then it's a BittersweetEnding.]]

%%ZCE * TheFairFolk: The wilis.

%%ZCE * GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: Myrtha.

%%ZCE * KillItWithWater: [[spoiler:How the wilis finish Hilarion off.]]
%%ZCE * KingIncognito: Albrecht
%%ZCE * LightIsNotGood: The wilis. Dear God, the wilis.
%%ZCE * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Albrecht, upon watching Giselle's insanity and subsequent death.

%%ZCE * TheOphelia: [[spoiler:Giselle becomes this at the end of Act I, and then passes away.]]
%%ZCE * ThePowerOfLove: Invoked by Giselle as she attempts to save Albrecht from Myrtha and the other wilis. [[spoiler:It works.]] In some versions, this ''[[GoodHurtsEvil wounds]]'' Myrtha.

%%ZCE * ShrinkingViolet: Giselle.
%%ZCE * SpannerInTheWorks: Hilarion in some versions.
%%ZCE * UnrequitedTragicMaiden: Oh, ''Giselle''.

%%ZCE * WomanScorned: The wilis, especially Myrtha.

%%ZCE * CueTheSun: [[spoiler:This frees Albrecht from the wilis and in some cases, Giselle as well.]]

%%ZCE * WomanInWhite: The wilis.

''Giselle'' is a ballet created by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, composed by Adolphe Adam and first shown in 1841. It is said to have been inspired by a poem, and the famous [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_fairies#Wili wilis]] in the second act are taken from Myth/SlavicMythology of ruthless virgins, jilted before or on their wedding day, who vengefully dance men to death. The ballet is well-known throughout the world and is considered to be one of the best productions a troupe can perform. It is said that while ''Theatre/SwanLake'' is the best ballet in terms of ''movement'', ''Giselle'' is said to be the best ballet in terms of ''acting'', with pantomime and expression telling the story of the ballet as well as the choreography.

The ballet begins happily on the day of a peasant festival, with a [[KingIncognito disguised nobleman]] (often a prince or a duke) named Albrecht who has disguised himself as the peasant Loys. It is in this guise that he courts the shy and naive Giselle, who falls in love with him while being wholly unaware of Albrecht's true self. After Giselle picks petals in a "He loves me, he loves me not" scenario (and after Albrecht plucks an extra petal while Giselle isn't looking so the flower will produce a "He loves me" answer), the two dance, only to be interrupted by Hilarion, a hunter who is in love with Giselle. Hilarion jealously warns Giselle against trusting strangers and proclaims his love for Giselle, only to be gently refused, and storm away. Giselle and Albrecht are later stopped by Giselle's overprotective mother, Berthe. She warns Giselle of being jilted, for a girl who dies before her wedding night is turned into a wili under control of Queen Myrtha and forever condemned to dance men to death. She herds Giselle back into their home and shoos Albrecht away.

Shortly after, a party of hunters enters the scene, among which are the countess (or princess) Bathilde and her father. They request shelter for Bathilde and refreshments from Berthe and Giselle. Giselle is enthralled by the beautiful noblewoman and her rich clothing, and dances for her, telling Bathilde of her happy engagement with "Loys", who is nowhere to be seen. Nevertheless, Bathilde gifts Giselle with her precious necklace before adjourning to rest in the cabin. The peasants return and dance some more and are quickly rejoined by Giselle and Albrecht. Just as Giselle is about to show Albrecht the necklace (or in some versions, tell him about Bathilde), Hilarion appears on the scene and angrily produces Albrecht's sword, then summons the hunting party with the horn left at Giselle's cabin. Albrecht quickly drops the peasant act when confronted by Bathilde, who happens to be his fiancée, and Giselle goes mad and dies tragically upon learning the truth.

* BerserkButton: Albrecht, who had earlier stalled a confrontation with Hilarion, absolutely flips his shit when Hilarion's meddling causes Giselle's death, and he would've killed him then and there had his own servant not intervened.

* ButNowIMustGo: The ending has shades of this.
* CrazyJealousGuy: Hilarion.
* CueTheSun: [[spoiler:This frees Albrecht from the wilis and in some cases, Giselle as well.]]

* DoesNotLikeMen: The wilis.
* DoggedNiceGuy: The characterizations of the more sympathetic portrayals of Hilarion.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:Albrecht, and even then it's a BittersweetEnding.]]
* TheFairFolk: The wilis.
* GoMadFromTheRevelation: Giselle, who runs mad and dies upon learning that Albrecht is not only a noble, but ''engaged.''
* GodSaveUsFromTheQueen: Myrtha.

* HeroAntagonist: Hilarion. Where he is between the two sides of this (i.e. more heroic or more antagonistic) varies between productions, but he's always more sympathetic than the wilis regardless.

* KillItWithWater: [[spoiler:How the wilis finish Hilarion off.]]
* KingIncognito: Albrecht
* LightIsNotGood: The wilis. Dear God, the wilis.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Albrecht, upon watching Giselle's insanity and subsequent death.

* TheOphelia: [[spoiler:Giselle becomes this at the end of Act I, and then passes away.]]
* ThePowerOfLove: Invoked by Giselle as she attempts to save Albrecht from Myrtha and the other wilis. [[spoiler:It works.]] In some versions, this ''[[GoodHurtsEvil wounds]]'' Myrtha.

** [[spoiler:Played straight with Hilarion, though. He's intercepted by the wilis as he pays his last respects to Giselle... and the pack kills him just before Giselle and Albrecht show up.]]

* ShrinkingViolet: Giselle.
* SpannerInTheWorks: Hilarion in some versions.
* UnrequitedTragicMaiden: Oh, ''Giselle''.
* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Bathilde, whose arrival [[spoiler:kicks off all the crap that will lead to poor Giselle's death.]]

* WomanInWhite: The wilis.
* WomanScorned: The wilis, especially Myrtha.

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Giselle saves the prince, who ''has'' fallen in love with her, but must depart forever. At least she now rests in peace and Albrecht will live on.]]

* CueTheSun: [[spoiler: This frees Albrecht from the wilis and in some cases, Giselle as well.]]

* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler: Albrecht, and even then it's a BittersweetEnding.]]

* GoneHorriblyWrong: If the ballet portrays Hilarion more sympathetically, his attempt to get Albrecht and Giselle together backfires spectacularly and results in Giselle dying of a broken heart. [[spoiler: And even more so: the wilis make sure he gets his dose of karma.]]

* KillItWithWater: [[spoiler: How the wilis finish Hilarion off.]]

* TheOphelia: [[spoiler: Giselle becomes this at the end of Act I, and then passes away.]]

* SadisticChoice: Myrtha orders Giselle to dance Albrecht to death, or ''she'' will. [[spoiler: Giselle decides to TakeAThirdOption and dances slowly enough for Albrecht to keep up and reviving him when he's exhausted and near death.]]

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Bathilde, whose arrival [[spoiler: kicks off all the crap that will lead to poor Giselle's death.]]

''Giselle'' is a ballet created by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, composed by Adolphe Adam and first shown in 1841. It is said to have been inspired by a poem, and the famous [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_fairies#Wili wilis]] in the second act are taken from Myth/SlavicMythology of ruthless virgins, jilted before or on their wedding day, who vengefully dance men to death. The ballet is well-known throughout the world and is considered to be one of the best productions a troupe can perform. It is said that while SwanLake is the best ballet in terms of ''movement'', ''Giselle'' is said to be the best ballet in terms of ''acting'', with pantomime and expression telling the story of the ballet as well as the choreography.

The second act consists of Giselle, now one of the wilis, and her attempts to save the grieving Prince Albrecht from Queen Myrtha and her wilis. [[spoiler: She succeeds, but must depart to the afterlife.]]

!''Giselle'' provides examples of:

* [[DependingOnTheWriter Depending on the Choreographer]]: Is Hilarion a DoggedNiceGuy, a vengeful jerk out to spite Albrecht and actively hurt Giselle, or just a WellIntentionedExtremist whose BatmanGambit to get Albrecht and Giselle together winds up becoming a gambit GoneHorriblyWrong?

* DoggedNiceGuy[=/=]IdiotHero: The characterizations of the more sympathetic portrayals of Hilarion.

* [[spoiler: KarmicDeath]]: [[spoiler:So Hilarion's intervention revealed the whole KingIncognito deal and caused Giselle to go insane, die, and become a wili upon her death? When he goes to mourn Giselle, the other wilis subject him to this via forcing him to dance until he's almost dead of exhaustion, then [[KillitWithWater drowning him in the lake]].]]

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Averted. Albrecht doesn't ''have'' to die to redeem himself for Giselle's death.]]

* GoneHorriblyWrong: If the ballet portrays Hilarion more sympathetically, his attempt to get Albrecht and Giselle together backfires spectacularly and results in Giselle dying of a broken heart. [[spoiler: And even more so: the ''wilis'' make sure he gets his dose of karma.]]

* AristocratsAreEvil: Thoroughly averted. While Bathilde is [[AlphaBitch snobbish]] in some versions of the ballet, [[LovableAlphaBitch she]] treats Giselle with kindness, and gifts her with a necklace upon hearing of her engagement. Her father is very friendly and welcoming as well, and while Albrecht is selfish, he [[spoiler:redeems himself in the second act, since he genuinely regrets what happened.]]

''Giselle'' is a ballet created by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, composed by Adolphe Adam and first shown in 1841. It is said to have been inspired by a poem, and the famous [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_fairies#Wili wilis]] in the second act are taken from SlavicMythology of ruthless virgins, jilted before or on their wedding day, who vengefully dance men to death. The ballet is well-known throughout the world and is considered to be one of the best productions a troupe can perform. It is said that while SwanLake is the best ballet in terms of ''movement'', ''Giselle'' is said to be the best ballet in terms of ''acting'', with pantomime and expression telling the story of the ballet as well as the choreography.

* BerserkButton: Albrecht, who has earlier stalled a confrontation with Hilarion, absolutely flips his shit when Hilarion's meddling causes Giselle's death, and he would've killed him then and there had his own servant not intervened.

* [[DependingOnTheWriter Depending On The Choreographer]]: Is Hilarion a DoggedNiceGuy, a vengeful jerk out to spite Albrecht and actively hurt Giselle, or just a WellIntentionedExtremist whose BatmanGambit to get Albrecht and Giselle together winds up becoming a gambit GoneHorriblyWrong?

* GoneHorriblyWrong: Hilarion's attempt to get Albrecht and Giselle together backfires spectacularly and results in Giselle dying of a broken heart. [[spoiler: And even more so: the ''wilis'' make sure he gets his dose of karma.]]

* DrivenToSuicide: In an early version of the ballet, Giselle died by stabbing herself with Albrecht's sword.

* [[spoiler: KarmicDeath]]: [[spoiler:So Hilarion's intervention revealed the whole KingIncognito deal and caused Giselle to go insane, die, and become a wili upon her death? When he goes mourn Giselle, the other wilis subject him to this via forcing him to dance until he's almost dead of exhaustation, then [[KillitWithWater drowning him in the lake]].]]

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Averted. Albrecht doesn't ''have'' to die to redeem himself for Giselle's death]]

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Bathilde, as it's her arrival that [[spoiler: kicks off all the crap that will lead to poor Giselle's death.]]

* [[spoiler: KarmicDeath: So Hilarion's intervention revealed the whole KingIncognito deal and caused Giselle to go insane, die, and become a wili upon her death? When he goes mourn Giselle, the other wilis subject him to this via forcing him to dance until he's almost dead of exhaustation, then [[KillitWithWater drowning him in the lake]].]]

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Hilarion reveals Albrecht's true identity to Giselle, hoping that this will help him win her heart. Instead she goes insane and dies.

* TheFairFolk: The wilis.
* TheIngenue: Giselle is a sweet pure-hearted innocent young girl who loves dancing and her boyfriend. Unfortunately, she's the heroine of a tragedy.
* TheOphelia: [[spoiler: Giselle becomes this at the end of Act I, and then passes away.]]
* ThePowerOfLove: Invoked by Giselle as she attempts to save Albrecht from Myrtha and the other wilis. [[spoiler:It works.]] In some versions, this ''[[GoodHurtsEvil wounds]]'' Myrtha.

''Giselle'' is a ballet created by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, composed by Adolphe Adam and first shown in 1841. It is said to have been inspired by a poem, and the famous wilis in the second act are taken from SlavicMythology of ruthless virgins, jilted before or on their wedding day, who vengefully dance men to death. The ballet is well-known throughout the world and is considered to be one of the best productions a troupe can perform. It is said that while SwanLake is the best ballet in terms of ''movement'', ''Giselle'' is said to be the best ballet in terms of ''acting'', with pantomime and expression telling the story of the ballet as well as the choreography.

The second act consists of Giselle, now a wili, and her attempts to save Prince Albrecht from Queen Myrtha and her wilis.

* AristocratsAreEvil: Thoroughly averted. While Bathilde is snobbish in some versions of the ballet, she treats Giselle with kindness, and gifts her with a necklace upon hearing of her engagement. Her father is very friendly and welcoming as well, and while Albrecht is selfish, he [[spoiler:redeems himself in the second act]].
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Giselle saves the prince, who has fallen in love with her, but must depart forever. At least she now rests in peace.]]

* ClingyJealousGirl: [[GenderFlip Gender flipped]] with Hilarion.

* DeathByDespair: Giselle dies of a broken heart when she discovers that Albrecht is engaged to another. Some productions try to [[JustifiedTrope justify]] this by having her mother mime caution to her daughter early on, suggesting that she already has a weak heart.

* GoneHorriblyWrong: Hilarion's attempt to get Albrecht and Giselle together backfires spectacularly and results in Giselle dying of a broken heart.

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Averted.]]

* TheOphelia: [[spoiler: Giselle becomes this at the end of Act I.]]

* UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom: Bathilde.

The ballet begins happily on the day of a peasant festival, with a disguised nobleman (often a prince or a duke) named Albrecht who has disguised himself as the peasant Loys. It is in this guise that he courts the shy and naive Giselle, who falls in love with him while being wholly unaware of Albrecht's true self. After Giselle picks petals in a "He loves me, he loves me not" scenario (and after Albrecht plucks an extra petal while Giselle isn't looking so the flower will produce a "He loves me" answer), the two dance, only to be interrupted by Hilarion, a hunter who is in love with Giselle. Hilarion jealously warns Giselle against trusting strangers and proclaims his love for Giselle, only to be gently refused, and storm away. Giselle and Albrecht are later stopped by Giselle's overprotective mother, Berthe. She warns Giselle of being jilted, for a girl who dies before her wedding night is turned into a wili under control of Queen Myrtha and forever condemned to dance men to death. She herds Giselle back into their home and shoos Albrecht away.

* [[DependingOnTheWriter Depending On The Choreographer]]: Is Hilarion a vengeful jerk out to spite Albrecht and actively hurt Giselle, or just a WellIntentionedExtremist whose BatmanGambit to get Albrecht and Giselle together winds up becoming a gambit GoneHorriblyWrong?

* DeathByDespair: Giselle dies of a broken heart when she discovers that Albrecht is engaged to another. Some productions try to [[JustifiedTrope justify]] this by having her mother mime caution to her daughter, suggesting that she already has a weak heart.

* SwissMessenger: Bathilde.

* KarmaHoudini: Debatable, but Albrecht gets off pretty lightly considering what he did to Giselle, especially when compared with the fate of [[spoiler:Hilarion.]]

* KarmicDeath: [[YourMileageMayVary Depending on your mileage,]] [[spoiler:Hilarion, who played at least some role in causing the death of Giselle.]]