Hansel and Gretel: genre

Hansel and Gretel: genre

Understanding the Genre – Fairy Tale

  • “Hansel and Gretel” belongs to the fairy-tale genre, originating from traditional German folklore.
  • The story was penned by the Brothers Grimm, incorporating elements of drama, horror, and adventure.
  • This fairy-tale fuses fantasy with reality, featuring impossible events such as witches and gingerbread houses.
  • “Hansel and Gretel” dives deep into themes of abandonment, survival, cunning, and the triumph of good over evil – conventional topics within the fairy-tale genre.
  • A remarkable fusion of gloom and joy, it is an illustrative example of the Bildungsroman sub-genre in fairy tales, indicating the protagonists’ development and maturation.
  • Symbolism, a vital characteristic of fairy tales, is heavily embedded in the narrative; the breadcrumb trails and the witch’s candy house stand for temptation and fraud, respectively.
  • The standard narrative structure explicit in the genre – introduction, rising action, climax, resolution – is evident in “Hansel and Gretel”.
  • “Hansel and Gretel” mainly imparts moral lessons through its storyline and characters – a characteristic tendency of the fairy-tale genre.

Staging: Hansel and Gretel

  • The unfolding of “Hansel and Gretel” is heavily dependent on the settings – the family’s house, the thick forest, and the witch’s candy house.
  • The production’s style dictates the staging, ranging from simplistic settings to intricate designs, especially for the witch’s house.
  • Props are integral to the drama: pebbles, breadcrumbs (used to mark the trail), and the cage that imprisons Hansel.
  • Costuming should mirror the modest origins of Hansel and Gretel, the sinister nature of the witch, and the transformations of the children from innocence to wisdom.
  • Lighting is a key element, setting the scene’s mood – warm lighting for home scenes, harsh for the witch’s house scenes, and eerie and spooky for the forest.
  • Practical effects like smoke and sound can be used to heighten the drama, particularly during the witch’s death scene.
  • It’s necessary to make efficient use of the stage space to depict the enormity and perils of the forest and the confinement within the witch’s house.
  • Incorporating trapdoors could signify the cruel surprises of the witch’s house, contributing to a tense environment.