The Magic Mirror is a magical item that appears in the story of Snow White. It is shown as either a small handheld mirror or a mirror that is attached to a wall. Some people think it represents the voice of Snow White's father, who is comparing the beauty of his wife and daughter.
Fairy tale
The Magic Mirror is owned by the Evil Queen, who often asks it, usually using rhyming words, who is the fairest in the land. When the mirror says Snow White, the Queen's young stepdaughter, is the fairest, the Queen becomes jealous and tries to kill her. She first sends a huntsman, then makes several attempts herself, ending with giving Snow White a poisoned apple. The mirror helps the Queen plan her actions by telling her where Snow White is. After each attempt, the Queen checks the mirror, which confirms that Snow White is still the fairest. When Snow White marries the Prince, the mirror tells the Queen that the new queen is the most beautiful. The Queen is frightened but goes to the wedding anyway. She tries to cause problems but is caught. The Prince makes her dance in red-hot iron slippers until she dies.
Analysis
In some versions of the story, a person, an animal, or the moon may take the place of the magic mirror, telling the villain that the heroine is more beautiful. The mirror has been seen as the voice of Snow White's father, deciding who is more beautiful between his wife and daughter.
Modern adaptations
The Magic Mirror first appeared in Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, where it was voiced by Moroni Olsen. The Magic Mirror had a spirit trapped inside that looked like a drama mask. This spirit was called the Slave in the Magic Mirror. In the film, the Evil Queen would ask the Magic Mirror who the fairest one of all was. The Magic Mirror always told the Queen that she was the fairest. However, when the Queen asked again, the spirit said that while the Queen was beautiful, a fairer being existed. When the Queen demanded the girl's name, the spirit described Snow White, making it clear that she was the one being referred to. The Queen then ordered her Huntsman to kill Snow White and bring her heart back. Later, when the Queen asked the Magic Mirror again, it told her that Snow White was still the fairest. The Queen believed the spirit was wrong and showed it the heart, but the spirit said it was the heart of a pig and that Snow White was still alive in the Cottage of the Seven Dwarfs.
In 1994, when Snow White's Scary Adventures was redesigned, the Magic Mirror was featured and voiced by Tony Jay. The Magic Mirror also appeared in the television series House of Mouse, again voiced by Tony Jay. It was shown in the club's lobby and answered questions from guests or gave advice to staff. In the episode "House of Magic," Daisy accidentally caused guests to disappear, and Mickey turned to the Magic Mirror for help. When the Magic Mirror gave a mysterious answer, Mickey asked it to explain again. The Magic Mirror told him to check the prop basement for clues. As Mickey led the staff there, the Magic Mirror said no one wanted to hear its cryptic answers anymore.
The Magic Mirror also appeared in Fantasmic!, again voiced by Tony Jay. In Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, the Magic Mirror was voiced by Corey Burton. It first appeared in Terra's story, where it told the Evil Queen that Snow White was now fairer than her. It also said Snow White's heart was pure light. The Queen promised Terra that if he brought her Snow White's heart, she would help him find Master Xehanort. Terra refused and told the Queen he never intended to. The Queen then ordered the Magic Mirror to destroy Terra, but the mirror refused, saying it could only answer questions. The Queen's anger caused the Magic Mirror to be hit with a potion, which sucked Terra in. The spirit of the Magic Mirror fought Terra but was defeated and released him. The Queen then made the Magic Mirror tell Terra where to find Master Xehanort. The Magic Mirror said, "Beyond both light and dark he dwells, where war was waged upon the fells." Terra left, and the Magic Mirror's words led him to the Keyblade Graveyard. Later, in Aqua's story, the Magic Mirror, still possessed by the Queen, pulled her into the mirror for a fight. Aqua defeated the spirit, and the Magic Mirror said, "The Queen is gone, my service done. Adieu, oh victorious one." After that, the mirror became normal.
In the Disney Channel movie Descendants, the Evil Queen kept the Magic Mirror after being exiled to the Isle of the Lost. It was now a small hand mirror passed to her daughter, Evie. It still responded to rhymes but no longer had a spirit inside.
A different version of the Magic Mirror appeared in The 7D, voiced by Whoopi Goldberg. This mirror was female and served Queen Delightful of Jollyland.
The Magic Mirror also appeared in the live-action Snow White film, voiced by Patrick Page.
In Once Upon a Time, the Magic Mirror began as a genie (voiced by Giancarlo Esposito) trapped in a lamp. King Leopold discovered the genie and used his wishes to free it and give it a third wish. The genie wished to find true love and joined the king's court. The genie fell in love with Queen Regina and gave her a hand mirror. The king later used the genie to find the man Regina loved, locked her in her room, and sent the genie to deliver a box of poisonous vipers to Regina. The genie used the vipers to kill the king, allowing Regina to be with him. The genie was trapped in the mirror and could move through all mirrors in the Enchanted Forest. Regina used the mirror to spy on others.
In Storybrooke, the Magic Mirror was Sidney Glass, a reporter for The Daily Mirror. Regina asked Sidney to research Emma Swan's past to help expel her from Storybrooke. After Sidney lost an election to Emma, Regina had him removed from the newspaper. Sidney later helped Emma but was secretly working with Regina. Sidney falsely confessed to kidnapping Kathryn Nolan to become famous. Later, Sidney was locked in a psychiatric ward. Regina later freed him to help her find people blocking her happiness. Regina used Sidney to find the exact moment Maid Marian was captured and to change fate by finding the book's writer.
Magic Mirror-inspired tourism
A German pharmacist and humorist named Karlheinz Bartels jokingly suggests that the German folk tale "Snow White" may be inspired by Maria Sophia Margaretha Catherina von und zu Erthal, who was born in Lohr am Main in 1725. After Maria Sophia's mother passed away in 1738, her father, Philipp Christoph von und zu Erthal, married again.
Lohr Castle, once owned by Philipp Christoph, had a large mirror that is sometimes linked to the Evil Queen's famous mirror in the story. This mirror, made by the Lohr Mirror Manufacture (Kurmainzische Spiegelmanufaktur), may have been in the castle as early as 1719, when Philipp Christoph began his work there. The mirror had inscriptions that acted like messages. One corner said "Amour Propre," meaning "self-love," and another corner read "Pour la recompense et pour la peine," which translates to "for reward and for punishment." Mirrors from Lohr were known for their detailed craftsmanship and were believed to "speak the truth." They were popular gifts among European royalty and aristocrats.
Bartels's idea, which he admits is a joke, is not considered serious by scholars.
Magic Mirror-inspired technology
In 2017, Amazon introduced Echo Look, a camera that helps with choosing clothes. It keeps track of your outfits and gives opinions on your look using special computer programs and help from fashion experts.