Maybe this whole story needs a closer look?
There's a lot of interpretations for this one around. Especially Rumpelstiltskin himself gotta be the most misinterpreted character.
If you go to the bottom, the story is actually rather grim.
My teacher went to lengths to analyze the story and break it down for us. Some key points, I still remember after all those years:
The miller's daughter has become a giant bitch after joining the royal family. She gets told Rumpelstiltskin's name by a reliable source, yet instead of just going "your name is Rumpelstiltskin, right?" she starts off with guessing terribly common names(original: Heißt du vielleicht Hinz? Heißt du vielleicht Kunz? Heißt du vielleicht Rumpelstilzchen?") before actually naming his correct name. She really wanted to break him as hard as she could and boy did it work. And yes, around that time, Hinz(an old form of Heinz) and Kunz(this name has kind of fallen out of favor) were the most common names around. It's surprising, how she'd start with these names on the third and final chance to guess his name, unless she really wanted to stick it to him.
Rumpelstiltskin is a rather simple guy, who lives secluded. THE GUY CAN MAKE GOLD! And yet he lives in a wooden hovel in a remote forest and is happy about simple things like baking and brewing.
Rumpelstiltskin never really demanded anything in return for his help. He asked, what he'd gain in return, if he made her GOLD and she gave him a cheap necklace, which he accepted. Then he accepted an equally cheap ring in return for making even more gold. Now here's the catch. The third time around, he suddenly demands something on his own. Because she says, she doesn't have anything to give him. How about asking, who he really is, what other things, she could give him, why he helps her in the first place and so on? The thought never occurs to her. Till now, he's been content with surprisingly little in return for his services. Asking him definitely wouldn't hurt here. Instead she just goes with it.
Now to the next confrontation: The girl, who is now queen, gives birth and Rumpelstiltskin comes to ask for what she promised to him. Unsurprisingly, she tries to bribe him with gold, treasures and riches. Yes. Try to bribe the guy, who is able to make gold. Unsurprisingly, he refuses. His answer is important here: "Mir ist etwas Lebendes lieber als alle Schätze der Welt." Literally "To me, a living being is more dear(/important/valuable) than all treasures of this world."
So the question is why does he want her child so badly. One possibly interpretation is, that he's just lonely and anyone would do. He's a tiny man, who lives in a run-down hovel in complete isolation.
His proposal for another chance is also interestingly worded: "Drei Tage sollst du haben. Wenn du bis dahin meinen Namen weißt, so sollst du dein Kind behalten." "You shall have three days. If you know my name until then, you shall keep your child." Now read that again and again. Nowhere does he say, she has to GUESS his name. He wants her to KNOW his name. The easiest way to find out his name? Maybe invite him to the palace as a guest and talk to him? The dilemma here is simple. Back in the cell, she could have easily asked him for his name... Who he is, why he helps her, etc... But she never really cared about him as a person. He gave her a chance and she again didn't take that chance at all. Instead, by sheer dumb luck, she finds out his name and reveals it to him in the most despicable way imaginable, showing, how much of a bitch she has become. At that point, Rumpelstiltskin, faced with the fact, that he will stay alone, commits suicide in front of the sociopathic queen, who probably is full of glee at that point.
Maybe this whole story needs a closer look? There's a lot of interpretations for this one around. Especially Rumpelstiltskin himself gotta be the most misinterpreted character. If you go to the bottom, the story is actually rather grim.
My teacher went to lengths to analyze the story and break it down for us. Some key points, I still remember after all those years:
- The miller's daughter has become a giant bitch after joining the royal family. She gets told Rumpelstiltskin's name by a reliable source, yet instead of just going "your name is Rumpelstiltskin, right?" she starts off with guessing terribly common names(original: Heißt du vielleicht Hinz? Heißt du vielleicht Kunz? Heißt du vielleicht Rumpelstilzchen?") before actually naming his correct name. She really wanted to break him as hard as she could and boy did it work. And yes, around that time, Hinz(an old form of Heinz) and Kunz(this name has kind of fallen out of favor) were the most common names around. It's surprising, how she'd start with these names on the third and final chance to guess his name, unless she really wanted to stick it to him.
- Rumpelstiltskin is a rather simple guy, who lives secluded. THE GUY CAN MAKE GOLD! And yet he lives in a wooden hovel in a remote forest and is happy about simple things like baking and brewing.
- Rumpelstiltskin never really demanded anything in return for his help. He asked, what he'd gain in return, if he made her GOLD and she gave him a cheap necklace, which he accepted. Then he accepted an equally cheap ring in return for making even more gold. Now here's the catch. The third time around, he suddenly demands something on his own. Because she says, she doesn't have anything to give him. How about asking, who he really is, what other things, she could give him, why he helps her in the first place and so on? The thought never occurs to her. Till now, he's been content with surprisingly little in return for his services. Asking him definitely wouldn't hurt here. Instead she just goes with it.
- Now to the next confrontation: The girl, who is now queen, gives birth and Rumpelstiltskin comes to ask for what she promised to him. Unsurprisingly, she tries to bribe him with gold, treasures and riches. Yes. Try to bribe the guy, who is able to make gold. Unsurprisingly, he refuses. His answer is important here: "Mir ist etwas Lebendes lieber als alle Schätze der Welt." Literally "To me, a living being is more dear(/important/valuable) than all treasures of this world."
- So the question is why does he want her child so badly. One possibly interpretation is, that he's just lonely and anyone would do. He's a tiny man, who lives in a run-down hovel in complete isolation.
- His proposal for another chance is also interestingly worded: "Drei Tage sollst du haben. Wenn du bis dahin meinen Namen weißt, so sollst du dein Kind behalten." "You shall have three days. If you know my name until then, you shall keep your child." Now read that again and again. Nowhere does he say, she has to GUESS his name. He wants her to KNOW his name. The easiest way to find out his name? Maybe invite him to the palace as a guest and talk to him? The dilemma here is simple. Back in the cell, she could have easily asked him for his name... Who he is, why he helps her, etc... But she never really cared about him as a person. He gave her a chance and she again didn't take that chance at all. Instead, by sheer dumb luck, she finds out his name and reveals it to him in the most despicable way imaginable, showing, how much of a bitch she has become. At that point, Rumpelstiltskin, faced with the fact, that he will stay alone, commits suicide in front of the sociopathic queen, who probably is full of glee at that point.
Edited by naphack