Kaiana
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How old is Rapunzel?I've been trying to figure out a realistic age. I know that when the Baker was "no more than a babe" she was born. But then the question is, how old is the Baker now? Whatever he is would probably make Rapunzel, at most, 3 years younger. I always think of Baker in his early thirties... Which would make Rapunzel like 27 or so. Which REALLY doesn't sound right...
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Baker
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In the original fairy tale of Rapunzel, the Witch locks Rapunzel in the tower when she turns thirteen.
In Into the Woods, Rapunzel references being in the tower for fourteen years.
Assuming Into the Woods follows the original fairy tale, this would leave Rapunzel age 27... Exactly the age you came up with. That makes the Baker about 29/30
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ConverseSneaker
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| Quote: | | In the original fairy tale of Rapunzel, the Witch locks Rapunzel in the tower when she turns thirteen. |
After having re-read that story recently, I remember the Grimm Brothers said she was 12.
Well, her innocence keeps her young. Staying out of the sun avoids wrinkles, so there you go!
I always felt like the Baker was more 28, possibly early 30's, and Rapunzel was young twenties, anywhere from 19-26.
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Baker
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| ConverseSneaker wrote: | | After having re-read that story recently, I remember the Grimm Brothers said she was 12. |
Close enough. The point was that she was locked up around puberty, because she was becoming a woman and the Witch saw that and didn't want to lose her.
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Kaiana
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Thanks Baker, it's just weird that she's so old because I believe the mysterious man comments on Jack's still living with his mother when he's practically an adult. In this time period, (we're doing it around 1700s anyway) ppl married and died young. That Rapunzel would be 27 seems unrealistic because she could concievably die in 10-15 years. Also, the Witch says "if what was growing was only her hair and not her" which makes it sound again like she's pubescent. Also "stay a child while you can be a child". Granted, this could just mean, while she has the opportunity to be a child. Gah, Rapunzel just really isn't developed that well in the script... 
Ah well, I guess I'll just go with her being 27 and her innoncence keeping her young as ConverseSneaker said.
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ConverseSneaker
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1700's? That really makes no sense. Unless you mean how they dressed.
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Kaiana
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Yeah, she wanted the costumes of like the Baker and Jack and step-people to be sort of colonial. But that doesn't really apply to the Witch.
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AngelicDramaQueen58
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| Kaiana wrote: | | In this time period, (we're doing it around 1700s anyway) ppl married and died young. |
But you also have the fact that this is fariy tales that anything could happen. 
Rapunzel's age is a confusing topic.
Also I always wondered why the Baker didn't try to find his sister...
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Baker
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| AngelicDramaQueen58 wrote: | | Also I always wondered why the Baker didn't try to find his sister... |
He was too busy searching for a child.
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Kaiana
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I don't think the Baker's Wife would have been terribly supportive about finding Rapunzel anyway, she's even more determined to get the child.
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Gazelle
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| Quote: | Baker- 19
Baker's Wife- 18-19
Cinderella- 16-17
Jack- 14-15
Rapunzel- 14-15
Red- 11 |
The above is taken from much research involving the time period customs placed with hints dropped from the show and book itself. The ages of the characters has been much debated for so long, it's hard to keep your own individual theroies straight, but i, personally, am very sure on the above ages. Although many say that i place Baker and Wife way too young, for the time period they were actully a bit too old to NOT have a child yet by a year or two. Which places Jack's age perfectly, for he is too old to still be living at home. Where as Cinderella is still at home since she has no mate, there for being kept under the responsiblity of her step mother.
i hope that clears up questioning on the ages you might have  at, but feel free to confront me with any confustion. No, no, indeed i am not an IttW know-it-all nor do i think i'm even close, i am just a fan who likes to analize (maybe too much  )
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Kaiana
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^ I would say that "no more than a babe" referring to the Baker's age when Rap was born would be more like 2 or 3 at MOST, b/c then they're toddling, four or five just seems too old.
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what_the_heck013
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| ConverseSneaker wrote: | | 1700's? That really makes no sense. Unless you mean how they dressed. |
That's usually the time period in which it's set. By the way, Gazelle, its Jack, not Jake.
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Gazelle
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| what_the_heck013 wrote: | | By the way, Gazelle, its Jack, not Jake. |
Whoa, thanks for catching that!
| Kaiana wrote: | | ^ I would say that "no more than a babe" referring to the Baker's age when Rap was born would be more like 2 or 3 at MOST, b/c then they're toddling, four or five just seems too old. |
Yes, i know what you mean. in my opinion it can only make Baker younger. it actully depends on how long until TW locked her in the tower since she was born. If she wasn't put in the tower for 1 or 2 years that makes a big difference.
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Kaiana
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| Gazelle wrote: | | what_the_heck013 wrote: | | By the way, Gazelle, its Jack, not Jake. |
Whoa, thanks for catching that!
| Kaiana wrote: | | ^ I would say that "no more than a babe" referring to the Baker's age when Rap was born would be more like 2 or 3 at MOST, b/c then they're toddling, four or five just seems too old. |
Yes, i know what you mean. in my opinion it can only make Baker younger. it actully depends on how long until TW locked her in the tower since she was born. If she wasn't put in the tower for 1 or 2 years that makes a big difference. |
I believe from the original story she locked her up when she was 12 and we know from the musical that she was there for 14 years. That would logically make her 26ish. So the other character ages would have to be adjusted accordingly. However, your ages seem plausible for the time period, Rapunzel's age is probably just Lapine and Sondheim not thinking about it all that hard. But going by the musical, she'd have to be 26ish.
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Baker
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You know, we definitely overanalyze this. Lapine was probably writing the script and decided to give Rapunzel a funny speech since all she's been saying so far is the high soprano "AHHH!" bit and as he was writing, he thought briefly, "How long was she in that tower? Ah, we'll say 14 years, that sounds about right."
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Kaiana
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True. 
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Gazelle
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i definitly agree that's probably the closest theory.
Yet i really think 26 is way too old, and that makes alot of other character's ages go way up, and at that age Baker&Wife would probably kill themselves for not having a child by THEN. People looked down upon you if you and your mate hadn't a child by age 17.
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