We love the story of Shrek—it has become part of pop culture. And when that happens, naturally, hypotheses and theories start to emerge around the characters and the hidden truths within the plot. First, the facts: “Shrek!” was written by William Steig and published in 1990. The story follows a solitary ogre who eventually finds happiness by accepting himself and the love of a princess.
The movie was developed by DreamWorks. The idea behind adapting “Shrek!” for the big screen was to create an irreverent animated story that was the total opposite of Disney’s perfect world. So how did we end up with this alternative take on Shrek? It happens with Rugrats, with Hello Kitty, with Toy Story, and other cultural products. It’s fascinating to see how interpretations can transform the way we view a story. Honestly, we love these alternate interpretations, and that’s why we want to share with you one of the most famous and spine-chilling theories behind Shrek.
The (Other) Story of Shrek
Turns out, the plot of Shrek might not be what it seems. Instead of being a story about an ogre who hides his personality and just seeks love and acceptance, some fans have proposed a radical theory: that the entire fantasy world we see in the movie is simply a hallucination of Fiona, the princess locked away in a tower.
The theory starts with the premise that Fiona, in her isolation in the castle tower, experiences a form of trauma or mental illness that leads her to create a fantasy world as a way to escape. According to this alternate narrative, everything—from Shrek and Fiona’s initial meeting to the adventures with Donkey, and the final battle with Lord Farquaad—is simply a product of Fiona’s imagination.
Prolonged isolation can significantly impact a person’s mental health and potentially lead to experiences like hallucinations. The psychotic disorder theory underlies it all, suggesting that individuals with disorders like schizophrenia can experience auditory, visual, or other types of distorted perceptions, especially when alone for long periods of time. Supporters of this theory point to several elements in the movie that they believe back up this interpretation.
For instance, the tower where Fiona is locked up resembles a psychological structure used in therapy to represent the human mind, suggesting that Fiona’s environment is purely metaphorical. Additionally, some strange and surreal details in the movie, like the presence of fairy-tale characters that seem out of place, could be interpreted as manifestations of Fiona’s imagination.
Another piece of evidence for this theory is that Fiona is the only one who can break the spell that keeps her locked in ogre form. According to supporters of this theory, this could be interpreted as a symbol of how Fiona is struggling to free herself from her mind and accept her true identity. What do you think? Let’s remember that this theory is purely speculative and not supported by the creators of the movie. It’s just a different perspective on the film, and viewers are free to interpret it however they like.
This story was originally published in Spanish in Cultura Colectiva.