Shrek Research Paper

Unlike other fairy tales, the film Shrek does not feature the classic charming prince as the hero, but instead, an ogre. This one ogre, along with his friend, Donkey, break the cycle of the classic fairy tales and take adventure to a new level. Not only do they save the princess, but also save all the other fairy tale characters. Nevertheless, Shrek is a folktale because of the style of the story and its allusions to other folk and fairy tales. The style of Shrek is a quest, which is a common style for folktales. The main character, and also the folk hero of the story, is the ogre, Shrek. He has to rescue Princess Fiona in order to save his swamp. He goes on this journey with Donkey, who repays Shrek for giving him a place to stay for one night. Donkey, unlike regular donkeys, is magical, so he can talk. When they finally rescue the princess from the tower guarded by a ferocious dragon, Shrek falls in love with her. What he doesn’t know though, is that there is an enchantment on Fiona that transforms her into an ogre at night. He …show more content…
For example, Cinderella and Snow White are featured as bachelorettes in the story. They come from the films Cinderella and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Another allusion in Shrek is from the movie, Jurassic Park. The character, Lord Farquaad, was swallowed head first by the dragon. In Jurassic Park, the lawyer was swallowed head first just like Lord Farquaad, but instead of being swallowed by a dragon, he was swallowed by a T-Rex. Lasty, another allusion in Shrek is true love's kiss. True love’s kiss is not only an allusion, but also a motif because it is a recurring idea in literature. The idea of true love’s kiss also appears in other fairy tales such as, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Not only is Shrek a folktale because of its style but also because of its many allusions and references to different folk and fairy