MovieChat Forums > Brave (2012) Discussion > Merida was willing to kill her mother

Merida was willing to kill her mother

posted 11 years ago by aleusong
27 replies | jump to latest

There is one significant moment that I remember from the film that was probably the film's lowest point...the way the witch warned Merida of the possible consequences behind giving the spell to her mother strongly suggested (in my mind) that it could be something that could kill her. And still Merida agreed to use the spell on her mom.

Any human being with any concept of right or wrong would start questioning whether using such a spell would be a good idea at this point. I don't think any of the other Disney Princesses (regardless of unhappy they were) would go as far as to kill a relative to get what they wanted. Even Cinderella and Snow White have never thought about physically harming or endangering their stepmothers no matter how awful they were.

This is what makes Merida, to me, the worst of the Disney Princesses, even worse than Ariel. Ariel may have made some stupid choices but I think she would've given it a second thought had she known that it would've endangered her father's life in the process.

[–] bing-57 9 years ago

> Any human being with any concept of right or wrong would start questioning whether using such a spell would be a good idea at this point.

Correct. She just a selfish and whiny little brat and didn't even stop to realize that she most likely would be hurting her mother.

--
What Would Jesus Do For A Klondike Bar (WWJDFAKB)?

[–] uruseiranma 9 years ago

Correct. She just a selfish and whiny little brat and didn't even stop to realize that she most likely would be hurting her mother.

Oh why can't she trust a witch who sicced a small army of sharp objects on her when telling her to get out of her hovel? :P

I see some also referenced Ariel as a comparison, and I often have said to others, I was able to find more sympathy for Ariel than Merida, but then again, I never was as indignant towards my Mom as Merida, so maybe I just don't get it.

"Thanks, guys." "So long, partner."

- Toy Story 3 (9/10)

[–] lyrahowl-01933 8 years ago

Merida is perhaps the single most unlikeable character I've ever seen in cartoons. To all who say "did she know it was going to turn her mom into a bear" I suggest to think about this: would you feed your mom something that a random creepy stranger deep in a forest gave you, warning you it might have consequences? I completely lost any interest in the movie after that moment.

As for Ariel comparisons, Ariel's actions seemed, in my opinion, a lot more justified. That scene when her dad crashes her little hideaway is still stuck in my head so many years after I last saw it. It was a real emotional breakdown for her. As for Merida, she seemed a brat and a swine for the whole time, so there was no "breaking point", she could have casually poisoned her mother at any moment really.

Also, Ariel never did anything purposefully to her father. She thought she put only herself at risk.

[–] AmeriGirl26 (15104) 6 years ago

I think what you're missing here, is that Merida was under the impression that the cake the witch made would make the Queen change her mind and call off the marriage. Merida didn't have a CLUE what it was actually gonna do to her, or she never would have made the deal in the first place.

Ironically, turning her mom into a bear was the best thing that ever happened to those two. It made Merida realize how important a role her mom played in both her life and in ruling the kingdom (because her dad certainly had no idea how to be king, other than act like a living mascot), and how to take responsibility seriously. She also learned to appreciate her mother as a person, and realize that they had more in common than either was willing to admit. Eleanor also learned that her daughter was resourceful and could handle crises much better than she initially thought, and that Merida wasn't just some spoiled brat that needed to be caged or put on a leash. Her knowledge of the forest and bears actually helped out both of them. The two of them also realized how much they truly loved each other as mother and daughter, something they had apparently forgotten over the years.

[–] Furienna (3375) 2 years ago

"Ironically, turning her mom into a bear was the best thing that ever happened to those two."
It was indeed necessary, and it makes you wonder if the witch knew that and gave Merida that spell on purpose.

Anyway, I think a lot of people in this thread are way too hard on Merida.
Let's remember that she was a teenager whose mother had thrown one of her belongings into a fire.
It is no wonder that she made a dumb decision and didn't consider all the possible consequences of her actions.
Sure, it is hardly smart to give somebody magic food without knowing what would happen.
And I found it even worse that Merida just left the cake in the kitchen and let her brothers eat it as well.
But accusing her of being willing to kill Elinor is unfair, because that is not what was going on.
They both had to learn a lesson and how to appreciate each other and did that thanks to this spell.