The Little Mermaid: Character Analysis

Resource for Grades 9-12
| Citation

The Little Mermaid: Character Analysis

Media Type:
Video

Running Time: 3m 55s
Size: 22.7 MB



Resource Produced by:

WNET

Collection Developed by:

WNET

Collection Credits

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This video from Great Performances: The Little Mermaid from San Francisco Ballet focuses on the moment the Little Mermaid falls in love with the prince and saves his life. Before this scene, the Little Mermaid, safely in the sea, observes the prince on his ship and becomes enamored with him. Then, a storm rolls in and she watches from afar as the ship goes down. She soon realizes the prince can’t swim and she risks being seen by the other humans to save his life. This video highlights the Little Mermaid as she makes her fateful decision—to save the life of the prince. This moment will change her life forever.

Supplemental Media Available:

The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen (Document)

open Discussion Questions

Note: Students will need to read the video synopsis before they watch the video segment.

Before the Video

  • What do you know about the story of The Little Mermaid? Did you read the story or watch the animated film as a child? If so, what are your memories of it? How did the film compare with the original story?

During the Video

  • Think about how this version of The Little Mermaid is different from what you already know about the story.

After the Video

  • In this video, the Little Mermaid decides to save the life of the prince. Do you think this was an easy decision for her? How do her movements in the beginning of this video describe her decision to save the prince and her feelings for him?
  • How does the prince appear in the video? How do his movements describe his state? What does his gaze tell the viewer about his condition? Do you think he understands what’s happening? Do you think he’ll recognize the Little Mermaid after she saves him?
  • The Little Mermaid is very expressive in this video. Provide examples from the video that describe her emotions and abilities as a savior in this scene.
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open Teaching Tips

Ask students to write a response describing The Little Mermaid character and how she fits into her world (what motivates her, how she makes decisions and the way she interacts/communicates with others) through the lens of her fateful decision: to become human. Instruct students to read the original The Little Mermaid fairy tale for additional background information on her character. Students should provide examples from the videos and text to support their perspectives.
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