Hansel and Gretel: character motivation and interaction

Hansel and Gretel: character motivation and interaction

Hansel and Gretel - Character Motivation and Interaction

Hansel’s Motivation and Interaction

  • Primary motivation: Driven by fear and survival to protect himself and his sister from the terrifying experiences they face.
  • Secondary motivation: Despite their dismal situation, he maintains a hope for a better life, leading Gretel into the woods in search of food and greater chances of survival.
  • Interaction with Gretel: Displays a strong protective instinct towards his younger sister, Gretel. Their relationship showcases a strong bond and mutual reliance.

Gretel’s Motivation and Interaction

  • Primary motivation: Similar to her brother, Gretel’s central motivation is survival, but her character’s journey also showcases a tale of maturation and growth.
  • Secondary motivations: She is driven by her fear of their stepmother and witch, as well as a longing for the stability and security of home.
  • Interaction with Hansel: Initially, she is highly dependent on her older brother for support. However, as the story progresses, she becomes increasingly self-reliant and courageous, ultimately guiding them towards safety.

Stepmother’s Motivation and Interaction

  • Primary motivation: Clearly guided by selfish survival, as exemplified when she plans to abandon her stepchildren during a famine.
  • Secondary motivation: She is interested in maintaining control, often manipulating the children’s father to achieve her way.
  • Interaction with Hansel and Gretel: She treats the children coldly, exhibiting strong antagonistic behaviour that results in their abandonment.

Father’s Motivation and Interaction

  • Primary motivation: Motivated by paternal love and guilt, he finds himself in a moral dilemma between his love for his children and his wife’s manipulative tactics.
  • Interaction with Hansel and Gretel: Although deeply guilt-ridden, he tends to be passive and lack assertiveness, contributing to the children’s plight.

The Witch’s Motivation and Interaction

  • Primary Motivation: Her character is driven by intense greed and indiscriminate appetite, as she deceives and detains the protagonists to satiate her hunger.
  • Interaction with Hansel and Gretel: The witch, as the primary antagonist, maintains a threatening and hostile relationship with the children, but initially hides her wicked intentions under a guise of kindness and hospitality.