Aladdin (fairy tale): Difference between revisions

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A tale of the ''[[Arabian Nights]]'' series and a [[Public Domain Character]] that has been adapted countless times, most recently popularised by [[Aladdin (Disney film)|the Disney version]] added to the [[Disney Animated Canon]] in 1992.

Like most folktales, '''''Aladdin''''' has undergone some major revisions, but the original story is as follows: Aladdin is a poor man from a Chinese city (Chinese [[In Name Only]] ~~-- the~~ setting is completely Islamic). One day, an evil Maghreb sorcerer approaches him, claiming to be his father's brother. He gives Aladdin a ring and tricks him into entering a booby-trapped magic cave to retrieve [[MacGuffin|a fancy oil lamp]], but when Aladdin insists on getting out of the cave before handing over the lamp, the sorcerer flies into a rage and tosses him back down into the cave. Fortunately for Aladdin, the ring the sorcerer lent him is a [[Ring of Power|Magic Ring]] that, when rubbed, releases a [[Genie in a Bottle|Djinni]] who brings him home, along with the lamp. When he gets home, Aladdin's mother starts cleaning the lamp, releasing a far more powerful Djinni who grants Aladdin his every wish.

Like most folktales, '''''Aladdin''''' has undergone some major revisions, but the original story is as follows: Aladdin is a poor man from a Chinese city (Chinese [[In Name Only]]—the setting is completely Islamic). One day, an evil Maghreb sorcerer approaches him, claiming to be his father's brother. He gives Aladdin a ring and tricks him into entering a booby-trapped magic cave to retrieve [[MacGuffin|a fancy oil lamp]], but when Aladdin insists on getting out of the cave before handing over the lamp, the sorcerer flies into a rage and tosses him back down into the cave. Fortunately for Aladdin, the ring the sorcerer lent him is a [[Ring of Power|Magic Ring]] that, when rubbed, releases a [[Genie in a Bottle|Djinni]] who brings him home, along with the lamp. When he gets home, Aladdin's mother starts cleaning the lamp, releasing a far more powerful Djinni who grants Aladdin his every wish.

Aladdin wishes for riches and an enormous palace, which win him the hand of [[Everything's Better with Princesses|the Emperor's daughter]]. However, the sorcerer learns of Aladdin's good fortune and plots to steal the lamp. He tricks Aladdin's wife into trading an old lamp for a new one and, not knowing about the power of the lamp, she does. The sorcerer then wishes for Aladdin's palace, along with his wife, to be moved to Maghreb.

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* [[Genie in a Bottle]]: And also a magic ring.

* [[Green Lantern Ring]]: And lamp too. In fact, this is the inspiration behind the original [[Green Lantern]], Alan Scott.

* [[Jackass Genie]]: Surprisingly averted. Some versions of the tale have the more powerful Genie of the Lamp bound by a powerful curse that forces him to obey both the letter and the spirit of the ~~wish -- to~~ the point of refusing Aladdin when he's about to make a booby-trapped wish.

* [[Jackass Genie]]: Surprisingly averted. Some versions of the tale have the more powerful Genie of the Lamp bound by a powerful curse that forces him to obey both the letter and the spirit of the wish—to the point of refusing Aladdin when he's about to make a booby-trapped wish.

* [[Make a Wish]]: The entire premise. Unlike the [[Aladdin (1992 Disney film)|Disney film]], there is no limit on the number of things Aladdin can wish for in the original tale.

* [[The Makeover]]: Aladdin goes from poor man to wealthy prince with the help of a [[Genie in a Bottle]].

* [[Meaningful Name]]: Aladdin is the Anglicized form of ''Ala Al-Din'' which means "excellence of religion" or "light of Allah".

* [[Standard Hero Reward]]: Sort ~~of -- Aladdin~~'s wishes for wealth and a neat palace make him a viable husband for the princess, but he's already married to her by the time anything heroic happens.

* [[Standard Hero Reward]]: Sort of—Aladdin's wishes for wealth and a neat palace make him a viable husband for the princess, but he's already married to her by the time anything heroic happens.

* [[Race Lift]]: The origins of the story are usually ignored and the characters made Arab to fit in with the general "[[Arabian Nights Days]]" theme.

* [[Ring of Power]]: Which has a Djinn of its own.