Religious symbolism in Grimm's Tangled A fairy tale is apparently a moral fiction, aimed primarily at children. A lesson in critical analysis, however, strips away this appearance and reveals the naked truth beneath; Fairy tales are actually vicious, logical, sexual stories wearing a mask of deceptively easy language and apparent morals. Two 19th-century writers, the Brothers Grimm, were masters at writing these exaggerated stories, captivating young readers with their prose while filling their stories with allusions and references: an example is “Rapunzel” . Grimm's "Rapunzel" is full of religious symbolism, which provides new insight into the meaning of this classic story. The relationship between “Rapunzel” and the history of Christianity is immediately apparent due to the setting. The Witch's Garden is described as "a magnificent garden filled with the most beautiful vegetables and flowers", perfectly representing the Garden of Eden from Genesis. Now that the scene is set, the Brothers Grimm begin a further correlation between the two stories. The witch, indicator of the serpent, tempts the mother and father with her rampion so that she can steal their child. In the story of creation, the serpent has the same idea in mind for Adam and Eve. The serpent knows that if man sins against God, he is incapable of entering heaven and therefore must face the alternative, a life of eternal suffering in hell. By eating the forbidden fruit, parents curse their child, humanity, and make him live a life separated from God. But, just like Adam and Eve, parents must also endure earthly trials, characterized by childbirth. In Genesis 3:17, Eve is cursed and must bear children through intense pain; hence, Rapunzel was born. ...... middle of paper ...... shown through Rapunzel's response. The witch learns of Rapunzel's interaction with the Prince and places her in the desert, and when the Prince climbs the tower to look for Rapunzel, he finds the witch waiting for him there. At this point, the witch's assumption and belief that she has won coincides perfectly with the arrogance of Satan who believes that by killing Christ he would forever dominate man. Much to the witch's dismay, the prince rushes from the tower, gouging his eyes out on the thorns below. This symbolizes Christ's conscious sacrifice for humanity on the hills of Nazareth. The prince wanders blindly in the desert and, after several years, finds his beloved Rapunzel. Ultimately, the happy ending of the story is the fulfillment of God's promise that through Jesus Christ we will be forgiven and find eternal life..