Date of Award

5-14-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

School Name

School of Communication

Department

Communication

Major Advisor

Moira O'Keeffe

Second Advisor

Ruth Wagoner

Third Advisor

Kyle Barnett

Abstract

In the television series Once Upon A Time, evil is portrayed as a circumstance rather than a character trait. Characters shift toward and away from evil; the evil character suddenly shows redeeming qualities and the good character becomes consumed with revenge. This unusual approach to depicting evil in a television adaptation centering upon fairy tales rejects the clear distinction between good and evil typically present in the written stories. A close reading of Regina and Snow’s narratives and rhetorical analysis of visuals in the show reveal good and evil as fluid concepts – developing and shifting within and between characters.

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