Snow White and the Magic Mirror is a popular fairy tale that has been adapted and retold in various forms over the years. The story follows a young princess named Snow White, who is known for her beauty and pure heart. However, her stepmother, the Evil Queen, becomes jealous of Snow White's beauty and seeks to be the fairest in the land. To achieve her goal, the Evil Queen possesses a magic mirror that is able to speak and answers all questions truthfully. Each day, the Queen asks the mirror who the fairest in the land is, expecting it to proclaim her as the most beautiful. However, one day, the mirror responds that Snow White is now the fairest in the land.
The Magic Mirror later appears in Aqua's storyline. When Aqua looks for a cure for Snow White in the castle, the Mirror, still possessed, drags her in for a fight, but she also manages to defeat him and is released. The Mirror then states that since the Queen is dead, his purpose has been fulfilled, and commends Aqua on her victory before disappearing, leaving her looking at an ordinary mirror.
Before he became the Magic Mirror, he was a Genie, a powerful magical being who was imprisoned within the confines of a magic lamp and freed by King Leopold. It is also strongly suggested that the Mirror is the reason for Ingrid s evil, as it inspires her to kill her sister so that she can become Queen herself, with Ingrid actually hesitating at the idea of killing Katherine at first.
However, one day, the mirror responds that Snow White is now the fairest in the land. Enraged, the Queen orders a huntsman to take Snow White into the forest and kill her, bringing back her heart as proof. The huntsman, unable to commit such an act, lets Snow White go and she ends up finding shelter in a small cottage in the woods, belonging to seven dwarfs.
The Universe of Discourse
The mirror is simply einen Spiegel, a mirror, not a specifically magic mirror. That seems to have been a later interpolation. In the 1857 edition, it says Sie hatte einen wunderbaren Spiegel…. There is no wunderbaren in the original.
I prefer the original. The mirror recites poetry; to say it is a magic mirror is superfluous.
But on second thought, is it? There is another explanation: in the original version, perhaps the mirror is an ordinary one, and the queen is psychotic.
Certainly nobody else hears the mirror speaking. And the queen tells the hunter not only to kill Snow White in the forest, but to bring back Snow White's lungs and liver, so that the she may eat them. With salt! (die will ich mit Salz kochen und essen.) Now I prefer the original even more. The later version, which unequivocally states that the mirror is magic, is much less terrifying.
I suppose the argument against this reading is that the mirror also provides the queen with real information: Snow White is still alive, and living with the seven dwarfs. I think the original text does imply that the queen was aware of the seven dwarfs, but how might she have known that Snow White was still alive? Well, she did eat the lungs and liver, which had actually come from a young wild boar (junger Frischling). Perhaps she was satisfied at first, but then there was something about the taste, or the texture, not quite what she expected… it gnawed at her for hours, and then in a flash of rage she realized what she had actually eaten…
[ Addendum 20210202: In case you wanted to see it,
Note, by the way, that in 1812 the umlaut marks in Königin etc. still looked like small letter ‘e’; they had not yet been reduced to diareses. ]
[ Addendum 20210207: another startling detail that was revised in the later editions. ]
[ Addendum 20210321: The more I think about the queen's psychosis, the more obvious it seems that this is the correct explanation. ]
I prefer the original. The mirror recites poetry; to say it is a magic mirror is superfluous.
Meanwhile, the Queen, still yearning to be the fairest, disguises herself in different forms to try and kill Snow White. These attempts fail, and each time she asks the mirror who the fairest is, it continues to reply that Snow White is the fairest. Eventually, the Queen succeeds in poisoning Snow White with a poisoned apple. The dwarfs are unable to revive her and place her in a glass coffin. However, a prince happens to pass by and is captivated by Snow White's beauty. He kisses her, breaking the curse and awakening Snow White. Snow White and the prince then marry, and the Evil Queen is punished for her evil deeds. The story ends with the mirror's final proclamation that Snow White is indeed the fairest in the land. Snow White and the Magic Mirror teaches important lessons about the dangers of vanity, jealousy, and the power of true love. The mirror in the story represents a symbol of self-reflection and honesty. It serves as a reminder that true beauty comes from within and that appearances can be deceiving. Through the experiences of Snow White and the Evil Queen, readers are encouraged to value inner beauty, kindness, and love above all else..
Reviews for "The Magic Mirror's Influence on Snow White's Relationships"
- Sarah - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "Snow White and the Magic Mirror". The storyline felt tired and unoriginal, and the characters were incredibly one-dimensional. The dialogue was clunky and the acting felt forced. Overall, the film lacked depth and failed to engage me as a viewer. I wouldn't recommend it to others looking for a captivating and well-executed fairy tale adaptation.
- Michael - 1/5 stars - "Snow White and the Magic Mirror" was a complete letdown. The special effects were subpar, making it difficult to immerse myself in the fantasy world they were trying to create. Additionally, the pacing was all over the place, with certain scenes feeling dragged out and others rushed. The acting was lackluster, and I found it hard to sympathize with any of the characters. Overall, this film felt like a cheap knock-off of other, much better fairy tale adaptations.
- Emily - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for "Snow White and the Magic Mirror", but unfortunately, it fell flat for me. The story lacked originality and failed to add anything new to the classic fairy tale. The acting felt forced and the dialogue was corny. The visual effects were decent, but they couldn't make up for the lack of substance in the plot. I was left feeling unsatisfied and wishing I had spent my time and money on a different film.