>>87434695>And the Beast is not that much like the Christian devil.You don't even need to check the interview for material on this one. He simply doesn't act like the Devil according to Christian mythos, common or uncommon sources. He is more like the classical fairytale Beast of the woods.
>but the people in the tavern were fiction archetypes who didn't have names.Who says though? They could easily have been real and chose to embrace a new identity they found within this new realm. Wirt basically did that, only he returned, a new more confidant young man and accepting of his brother, his family, and his role in life.
>There's certainly some kind of after-life connection,Why do you say that? Is this because you saw the tombstones at the end? Hardly conclusive. Back in those times, people could go missing and after a while loving families would set up a grave for them, even if they never found the body. Was not uncommon back then, especially for the rich.
>>87435122>That is true, but I still like my idea better that the symbology is that man fuels his own sadnesses and gives up. There's no magical beast that forces you give up. Its you. (Or yer environment but then we're just going into the philosophical shithole to Wonderland)I like your idea of man fueling his own sadness, but you need to recognize, the Woodsman never did. He never gave up until he realized he had been tricked. He stoutheartedly struggled each and every day to keep what he thought was his daughter's soul alive and safe. The man never gave in.
