Symbolism In Into The Woods

Into a Forest of Symbols “Into the Woods” like many enjoyable stories is overflowing with symbolism. If one analyzes just the prologue they can easily find five separate symbols that can be applied back too multiple characters involved in the story. In the prologue the character of the Baker is tasked to find four separate items by a witch to lift a curse. These items not only all symbolize a character that the baker will encounter on his journey through the woods, but something about the characters themselves. These symbols are also not restricted to these characters, but multiple characters that can be related back to the same symbol. These symbols also have different meanings for the different characters they relate back too. Although

The first symbol discovered is a “Cow white as milk”. (Grimm’s Fairy Tales) This symbol can be related to the Jack and the Baker. The pure whiteness relates too Jack in his naivete due to his young age. For the Baker the cow represents fertility and his desire to have baby with his wife. The second symbol is a “Hood as red as blood”. (Grimm’s Fairy Tales) This hood is in the possession of Red Riding Hood and it represents, her, and the Baker. It the blood red hood symbolizes Red Riding Hood’s transformation from girl to woman. This not only relates to menopause, but her conquering her fear of the woods. The symbol of the hood also relates to the life the baker wishes to create with his wife in the form of a child. The third symbol is a “Slipper pure as gold”. (Grimm’s Fairy Tales) The symbol after analyzation first relates back to Cinderella which after despite losing everything important to her kept a heart of gold while being overworked and verbally abused by her step family. The symbol of pure gold can be related back to Jack’s mother making him sell his beloved friend the family cow due to lack of gold. In a way the mother has the