Intertextuality in Shrek

Following its release in 2001, Shrek became an instant hit for fans of all ages. It’s storyline, witty humor, and character dynamics made it enjoyable for a variety of audience members.

Shrek’s plot revolves around an ogre named Shrek, who lives in peaceful solitude until it is invaded by a group of various (and annoying) fairytale characters. The characters have been banished there by evil Lord Farquaad, who after meeting with Shrek, decides to make a deal with him. To get his swamp back, Shrek must retrieve Princess Fiona from her dragon-guarded tower and deliver her to Lord Farquaad to be his wife. A classic adventure story ensues for Shrek, Fiona, and Shrek’s sidekick Donkey, and ends with a typical happily-ever-after finish for the protagonists.

When analyzed, the film’s intertextual references are plentiful and clear, and it is obvious that the creators of Shrek utilized storytelling intertextuality to open the film to a larger audience. According to Helle Kannik Haastrup, storytelling intertextuality “occurs when a film includes other films or texts through references and quotes” (85). Throughout the movie Shrek, there is a number of references to other works such as TV shows and fairytales.

The film premise has an overarching ‘classic’ fairytale theme, revolving the hero of the story (Shrek) rescuing the damsel in distress (Fiona), who is locked far far away in a tower guarded by a dragon. But along the way, the storyline mimics much of other fairytales, directly referring to their plots and characters as well.

At the start of the movie when Shrek realizes all the extra animals are at his swamp, three blind mice are at his dinner table, referring to the old story. Shrek then travels to his room after hearing a noise to the scene of a wolf wearing a pink dress and glasses, pretending to read and pose as an old woman, in reference to the old tale “Little Red Riding Hood”. There are numerous other fairytale characters that arrive to his swamp, who all refer to their own respective stories or fables.

Following this, the scene cuts to Lord Farquaad in his room, watching his magic mirror display 3 different princesses in a game show-like fashion, as they are all contestants to be his bride. Not only do the contestants refer to other fairytales (Rapunzel and Snow White), but this scene is also a reference to the popular TV show The Bachelorette. 

When Shrek finally gets to Princess Fiona, she is pretending to be asleep, so she can be awoken by a kiss from her ‘knight in shining armor’. This scene is an implicit reference to the tale Sleeping Beauty. Throughout the rest of their adventure, there are various easter eggs and references to other works that add to the film’s storyline.

The impact of the creators’ use of intertextuality within Shrek is that it makes the film more enjoyable to a wider audience. Many of these referenced tales are universal and have their own versions—with the same basic plot—throughout many different cultures. This makes Shrek more relatable to a larger number of people, as many groups have grown up listening to these tales.

Referring to tall tales and fairytales within the fairytale that is Shrek adds a layer of irony to the film as a whole. This is turn adds comedic value and opens the film up to a wider audience.