Tangled: A Child's Guide to Plato's Allegory

May 12

Rapunzel's Journey From Shadows to Sunlight

Every now and then, a story I’ve enjoyed for YEARS presents itself to me in a whole new way—usually while waking from a dream or in the middle of a shower. Once the thought takes root, it’s overthought until it becomes one of these articles; or I just talk about it until I drive all of my friends and family crazy. This year it has mostly been the latter, as it has admittedly been a very long time since I’ve felt inspired to write creatively. Thankfully, late last week I was struck so hard with a concept that I have yet to recover, and don’t think I will until it is expressed in written form.

Do you remember learning about Socrates and Plato in high school? Maybe you lean more philosophical and have more recent memories of their musings. Not to age myself, but it has been about 15 years since I have taken the time to familiarize myself with their recorded contributions to humankind. Somehow, even after all this time, one story remains strongly planted in my mind. Today, we are going to examine the plot points that make Disney’s “Tangled” a child-friendly retelling of The Allegory of the Cave, from Plato’s “Republic.”

[For Context, in case it has been a while since you’ve read the story:
Plato's Allegory of the Cave is a timeless philosophical allegory that explores the nature of reality and the journey of enlightenment. In the allegory, prisoners are confined within a cave from birth, facing a wall where shadows of objects pass by. They perceive these shadows as reality, unaware of the world beyond the cave. When one prisoner is freed and sees the true world outside, they initially struggle to comprehend it but eventually come to understand the illusions of the cave and the true nature of reality. The allegory serves as a metaphor for the journey from ignorance to enlightenment, highlighting the transformative power of knowledge and the importance of questioning perceived truths.]

Parallels with the Cave Dwellers

In the animated masterpiece (yeah, I said it — MASTERPIECE) “Tangled,” Rapunzel’s journey from the confines of her tower to the vast world beyond bears striking parallels to the Prisoner in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. Both narratives explore the themes of enlightenment, perception, and the transition from ignorance to understanding.

In Plato’s allegory, we are told the story of unfortunate prisoners who are chained in a dark cave since birth, their whole reality consisting of shadows cast upon the walls by objects passing before a fire behind them. Similarly, Rapunzel is locked in her secluded tower by Mother Gothel. Stowed away, she has spent her entire life forming her understanding of the outside world with only the images and stories depicted in the books and artwork she has immersed herself in.

Just as the prisoners mistake the shadows for reality, Rapunzel’s perception of the world is distorted by her confinement. When she finally ventures beyond the tower, her encounters with strangers highlight her naivety, much like a person who has not yet adjusted their sight to the world’s true forms revealed by the bright sunlight. However, as she sets out with Flynn Rider (who is undoubtedly on his own cosmic journey from self-preservation to self-actualization), Rapunzel begins to question the world she once thought she knew, seeking a deeper understanding of her surroundings.

The Power of Love and Light

I’d be remiss not to mention one of the most pivotal moments in Rapunzel’s awakening — the Lantern Release Ceremony accompanied by the song “I See the Light.”
“All those days watching from the windows
All those years outside looking in
All that time never even knowing
Just how blind I've been”

This powerful ballad symbolizes Rapunzel’s transition from darkness to enlightenment, mirroring the prisoner’s transition in Plato’s allegory as he emerges from the cave and his vision adjusts to the blinding sunlight until he can finally see things as they truly are.

Rapunzel’s magic powers were derived from a drop of golden sunlight, and the connection between the fables is further solidified when Rapunzel makes her final revelation of truth when she suddenly realizes that she is the Lost Princess, the royal emblem being a design of the sun.

One key difference between the two paths to enlightenment is that Plato clearly illustrated that the light from the sun represents all that is good and true, and it seems that in “Tangled” the path to enlightenment is actually mostly traveled through love. While this “Disnification” may seem like a deal breaker to my theory, you’ll soon find that the themes are closely intertwined.

While Rapunzel and Flynn may both be “seeing the light” due to their romantic involvement with each other, it can be further argued that Flynn’s change in perception takes place while observing the world around him as it interacts with the light from the sun — AKA Rapunzel.

A Philosophical Companion

Now, up to this point, every parallel drawn has been assumed coincidental on my part. However, when I began to pull things further apart (for the sake of conveying the concept clearly to any poor soul who decides to go this deep with me), I had another realization that leads me to believe that the writers of this pseudo-modern retelling of the classic fairytale HAD to know what they were doing. The clue? Rapunzel’s little rapscallion reptilian sidekick, Pascal. Throughout the plot, Pascal is with her every step of the way, encouraging her to chase her dreams, pursue goodness, and even stand up to Mother Gothel. The name may not ring the same bells as “Plato,” but I’m sure you’ve heard of him. Blaise Pascal was another philosopher who came much later than Plato, and had his own idea of the Ultimate Truth. According to “Pascal’s Wager,” it can be safely assumed that Jesus was to Pascal as the sun was to Plato — The ultimate source of light and truth of everything on earth and beyond.

[For context, in case you haven’t heard of “Pascal’s Wager”:
Pascal's Wager, proposed by the philosopher Blaise Pascal, suggests that it is rational to believe in God even if there is no proof of God's existence. The wager argues that the potential benefits of believing in God, such as eternal salvation, outweigh the potential costs of disbelief, such as damnation. Therefore, Pascal posits that it is in one's best interest to believe in God, as the potential gain is infinite while the potential loss is finite. This argument is often used to justify religious faith based on pragmatic reasoning rather than empirical evidence.]

[1 John 4:16 - We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

In the philosophical tradition of Christianity, the concept of God as love is central. When someone acts out of love and is motivated to make virtuous choices through it, they align themselves with the divine and experience a revelation of truth through their actions. Why does this matter? Because if Rapunzel herself is the embodiment of the Sun, it would make sense that something other than her own power would draw her out of bondage and into the truth. Self-actualization may have tempted her to leave the confines of her tower, but it was not until she met the (soon-to-be) love of her life that she finally broke out to see what she had been missing. And repeatedly through the story it is her actions of love that propel her closer and closer to the truth. In this way, her journey still parallels the prisoner's in Plato’s allegory, but with God as the revealing power guiding the way. So Flynn is transformed by light, and Rapunzel is transformed by love; but their revelation is the same.

Once our main characters see the light, they attempt to share their cognizance with those confronting them. Similar to what Plato advises Glaucon in the allegory, regarding the possible repercussions of the escapee sharing what he has learned with his ex-cavemates, when Flynn tries to negotiate with the Stabbington brothers they beat him, tie him to a boat, and float him to the kingdom guards knowingly sending him to his death. Interestingly this conflict is, in a way, repeated in the simultaneous scenario when Rapunzel’s new perception is challenged and she immediately gives in and goes back to her previous miserable existence with literally open arms.

Overcoming Darkness and Lies

Thankfully, our heroes defeat the foes attempting to chain them back in darkness, lies, and death (using both the power of the sun AND the power of love, combined). Not only do they live Happily Ever After, but they both go on to serve the community of Corona (the name of Rapunzel’s kingdom, and also a word for the shining ring of light around the sun) with their wisdom and kindness garnered from their adventures together. This conclusion perfectly aligns with Plato’s vision for the prisoner-turned-philosopher from the cave. Once the prisoner knows the truth, they are destined to share their insight with anyone who will listen so they are armed by truth and less susceptible to bondage.

In conclusion, "Tangled" masterfully weaves the themes of Plato's Allegory of the Cave into a timeless tale of self-discovery and enlightenment. Through Rapunzel's journey from confinement to freedom, viewers are reminded of the importance of questioning perceived realities and seeking truth in a world filled with shadows. Just as the prisoner in Plato's allegory emerges into the light of the sun, so too does Rapunzel find illumination in the truth of her own identity and purpose.