History YMMV / Rumpelstiltskin

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Was Rumpelstiltskin a malevolent entity who regularly [[DealWithTheDevil makes deals with mortals of dubious morality]]? Or was he simply a mercenary of sorts who just wanted to collect on what his client agreed to pay him?
** [[TakeAThirdOption ...Or, was he just a lonely old troll who wanted a child of his own?]]

* WhatAnIdiot: Rumpelstiltskin gets one here. Not so sure that it's a great idea to announce your secret name out loud in the woods when the Queen's men might be out and about looking for you...

** Fairytale examination of this story points out that Rumpelstiltskin is certainly a DesignatedVillain, as he kindly offers the Miller’s Daughter aid in exchange for minor trinkets, the third time asking for her firstborn child. Despite the agreement, Rumpelstiltskin allows the Miller’s Daughter three nights to guess his name, and he’ll allow her to keep her child. It’s worth pointing out that in the original German story, Rumpelstiltskin is mentioned as being a männlein — essentially a type of Germanic male fairy who appear in fairytales to help people, particularly young women, and gave them powerful blessings in return for kindness. In fact, one researcher pointed out that what Rumpelstiltskin was doing was part of a similar theme in fairytales/mythology, where the Faery figure asks for the child that would eventually be produced from their magical aid — one noteworthy example of this is Merlin requesting that King Uther give him Arthur, as Merlin’s magic was vital in the conception of the boy. Essentially, Rumpelstiltskin was from a race of the masculine equivalent of Fairy Godmothers.

** Of course, his little chant, "Today I'll bake; tomorrow I'll brew," lets some readers suspect he itends to eat the baby.

** This troper’s own German grandmother invokes this with Rumpelstiltskin singing his name in the woods being a deliberate act, because he knew that someone from the royal household had found him. As the Miller’s daughter wasn’t in a position where she could aid Rumpelstiltskin as per usual männlein fashion, he had to request payment as magical aid cannot always be freely given. So being bound by Fairy Law, Rumplelstiltskin allowed the Miller’s Daughter three days to guess his name, deliberately stating his name aloud when he knew that he’d been followed.

* CompleteMonster: The titular Rumpelstiltskin is portrayed [[AdaptationalVillainy much more evil]] than in the fairytale. Lacking a soul, Rumpelstiltskin made a deal with a miller's daughter, spinning hay into gold for her in exchange for her [[WouldHurtAChild firstborn son]], so he could [[YourSoulIsMine suck out his soul]] and make it his own. Foiled in his attempt, Rumpelstiltskin is turned into a jade figurine, and freed centuries later to continue his goal. After being inadvertently freed by Shelly Stewart and [[RapeByFraud having sex with her while disguised as her dead husband]], he begins targeting her infant son John, killing everyone he comes in contact with along the way. He slaughters an entire police station to get to John in an attempt to steal his soul.

* CompleteMonster: The titular Rumpelstiltskin is portrayed as being [[AdaptationalVillainy much more evil]] than in the fairytale. [[TheSoulless Lacking a soul]], Rumpelstiltskin [[DealWithTheDevil made a deal]] with a miller's daughter, spinning hay into gold for her in exchange for her [[WouldHurtAChild firstborn son]], so he could [[YourSoulIsMine suck out his soul]] and make it his own. Foiled in his attempt, Rumpelstiltskin is turned into a jade figurine, and freed centuries later to continue his goal. After being inadvertently freed by [[TheProtagonist Shelly Stewart]] and [[RapeByFraud having sex with her while disguised as her dead husband]], he begins targeting her infant son John, killing everyone he comes in contact with along the way. He slaughters an entire police station to get to John in an attempt to steal his soul.

** Fairytale examination of this story points out that Rumpelstiltskin is certainly a DesignatedVillain, as he kindly offers the Miller’s Daughter aid in exchange for minor trinkets, the third time asking for her firstborn child. Despite the agreement, Rumpelstiltskin allows the Miller’s Daughter three nights to guess his name, and he’ll allow her to keep her child. It’s worth pointing out that in the original German story, Rumpelstiltskin is mentioned as being a männlein- especially a type of Germanic male fairy who appear in fairytales to help people, particularly young women, and gave them powerful blessings in return for kindness. In fact, one researcher pointed out that what Rumpelstiltskin was doing was part of a similar theme in fairytales/mythology, where the Faery figure asks for the child that would eventually be produced from their magical aid- one noteworthy example of this is Merlin requesting that King Uther give him Arthur, as Merlin’s magic was vital in the conception of the boy. Essentially, Rumpelstiltskin was from a race of the masculine equivalent of Fairy Godmother’s.

[[AdaptationalVillainy more villainous in several adaptions]]. Especially the 1995 horror film adaptation where he actually kills people and steals babies so he can have their souls.

* DesignatedVillain: Rumpelstiltskin. Yeah, asking for the baby was rather sinister, but up until the final act he really is not evil. It wasn't until the protagonist choose not to up hold her end of the bargain that he became an antagonist. Then again, he ''does'' prey on the desperation of a woman who has no possible other options through no fault of her own.
** Although he's [[AdaptationalVillainy more villainous in several adaptions]]. Especially the 1995 horror film adaptation where he actually kills people and steals babies so he can have their souls.
* FridgeHorror: The miller's daughter is threatened with death and ordered to complete an impossible task. If she reveals that her father was telling tall tales, he'll probably be killed. After three nights of this psychological torture, she is forced to marry and bear children for the king, the man who kidnapped her, threatened her with death, and locked her up for days. She then spends the rest of her life petrified that the king will find out that she and her father are liars. (Lying to the king is an act of treason, and the punishments for treason were pretty nasty back in the day.) With Rumpelstiltskin dead, what happens when the king's treasury is low and he asks his wife to spin more straw into gold?

** While it’s not exactly better, I’ve read analysis’ on the story that stated that the Miller’s daughter was threatened with death because although she wasn’t the one who stated that she could spin straw into gold, she was complicit in the lie by not denying that lie when the King mentioned it to her. Moreover, my personal belief in regards to the story is that if the King tried to get the Queen to spin straw into gold, she could merely state that it was a VirginPower.

* DesignatedVillain: Rumpelstiltskin. Yeah, asking for the baby was rather sinister, but up until the final act he really is not evil. It wasn't until the protagonist choose not to up hold her end of the bargain that he became an antagonist.