Cinderella: What Was the Prince Thinking?

           It is unusual to consider that the principal male character in this classic fairy tale would have feelings, especially one whom everyone adores. No one truly knows what the Prince was actually thinking except he must have the “girl in the slipper”, which is why I am attempting to give my opinion of what occurred in his head. Was it a) a foot fetish, that the woman of his dreams wore a glass slipper; b) he simply wanted some lovin’; c) did he feel he had to rescue Cinderella from servitude, or d) a combination of it all?

            Of course, the Prince is royalty and he would expect his future Princess to beautiful in every way, form and fashion possible; that is, to explain his “foot fetish” (Morrison 658). The slipper is indeed a sexual symbol; how often will a woman with horrifically rough feet glide as if she was walking on air? Of all the physical characteristics to judge, why categorize feet? Maybe feet used strictly for working actually turned him on, or simply that the Prince was intrigued by Cinderella’s movements – in a fragile glass slipper that exposed every arch, curve, and imperfection. Either way, he was dazzled by this woman who he had never seen before much less exist.

            Another suggestion of what the Prince was thinking was not thinking, instead his hormones were raging out of control similar to a teenager. The man had some drinks, possibly wine, and saw a very beautiful woman dancing erotically, meaning he had to have her by any means necessary. Believe me, I would have gone after Cinderella mainly because she presented a new challenge; there is no such thing as having too many women. Also, despite having clout and the privilege of making any of the eligible ladies at the ball his wife, it was Cinderella who captivated his heart since she departed without a slipper at the end of the night. While he may have been already in awe of this new woman, alcohol lowered his inhibitions to the point he possessed a total lack of control of his actions.

            As a servant, Cinderella was barred from associating with the bourgeouis middle class; therefore her chance to stand in front of the Prince and his royal company was slim. Not only was she a peasant, but also she had never taken a dance lesson in her life! Her days were long and painful, and her nights were sleepless and cold. On the contrary, her wicked stepmother and her wicked daughters lived extravagantly by forcing Cinderella to perform menial tasks such as cleaning the entire house with a single brush and a small pail of water, and eating from the ashes leftover lentils they did not want. Psychologically, this really scarred her in addition to the verbal abuse from the other females in town and her biological father stayed in the background, probably to avoid the wrath of his wife. The Prince did not see rescuing Cinderella from her tortuous lifestyle as why he married her; he was in love with her! Unlike modern day stories (ex. Pretty Woman and Don’t Be a Menace To Society While Drinking Your Juice In the ‘Hood), Cinderella is truly a love story without a rescue involved; heck, the only thing he knew was she could dance so well.

            Whatever the Prince was really thinking, no one knows, but one reason is definitely did not marry Cinderella with the intent of rescuing her from lifelong servitude. Maybe he fell in love with her after watching those feet move and having the opportunity to dance with her; perhaps he loved her in spite of her situation; or he was a horny man looking for quick love. On any account, the glass slipper plays a critical role in the story; if no one could fit the shoe, Cinderella the tale would have had a different ending – the Prince would still be a single man and Cinderella is oppressed by her family.