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Shrek (character)
Encyclopedia
Shrek is a fictional character from the children's book Shrek!
and the Shrek films
. He is the main protagonist
of both the book and the films. The name "Shrek" is derived from the German
and Yiddish word "Schreck"/"Shreck", literally meaning "fear, terror."
, with an accent described by Myers as "a Scottish guy
who's lived in Scarborough
for forty years". Although his background is something of a mystery. Though surly, misanthropic, and venomously cranky, Shrek is peaceful and doesn't care to hurt anyone, but just wants to live his life in solitude and be left alone. Shrek is befriended by Donkey
, an excitable, hyperactive, and talking donkey
. It is notable that when Shrek is first seen he is successfully scaring off villagers by roaring at them, but it later becomes obvious that they were only attacking him because he is an ogre, not because he had done anything particularly wrong. In the first Shrek movie, during a conversation with Donkey, he laments that he is constantly judged by the outside world the minute people meet him, and is thus better off alone. This implies that he became a recluse after trying and failing to find acceptance among others. Another factor causing lack of acceptance can be found in Shrek the Third
, it is revealed Shrek has a father who tried to eat
him as Shrek stated, "I guess I should have seen it coming. He used to bathe me in barbecue sauce and put me to bed with an apple in my mouth".
Shrek lives in an Ogre Swamp. The swamp, like any other swamp, is green and murky. The swamp contains small and big ponds of muddy water and also has geysers that squirt out mud. The swamp contains the living quarters of Shrek which consists of an outhouse and Shrek's house. The swamp is also a home to different kinds of species including the swamp slug that Shrek uses for his toothpaste. This basically beginning portrays Shrek as a real grubby beast. When he finds squatters where he lives, he agrees to the rescue of Princess Fiona to evict all the squatters. However, during the course of the mission, Shrek falls deeply in love with Fiona.
Since he is an ogre, Shrek has a considerable amount of physical strength, being able to break wood and metal constructs, get in physical combat with a number of armored humans and usually winning, unintentionally destroying a wooden vessel with a bottle of wine, and even lifting or turning objects that are too heavy for a normal human being, such as a gigantic vat of magic potion against the maximum security of the fairy godmother in Shrek 2.
In Far Far Away Idol, he sang "What I Like About You
" by The Romantics
with Fiona. Shrek has a little problem socializing due to the fact that people think he is a mean ugly ogre
, even though his appearance is remarkably humanoid, wit a few cosmetic exceptions. In being in the process Shrek is said to have sociophobia. However, from Shrek the Third onward, Shrek has become a well-liked celebrity, at least in Far Far Away. In the fourth movie, people managed to realize that Shrek isn't dangerous and lost their fear and prejudice over him, but to Shrek's dismay, they also come to regard him as a folk hero
and visit him with even more frequency than before, disturbing him. But after the experiences of the movie, Shrek comes to appreciate his life more than ever.
, a talking miniature donkey, to literally run into Shrek.
Because of the squatters in Shrek's swamp, the ogre sets out for Duloc, where he ends up being an unwilling participant in a tournament for the 'privilege' to rescue Princess Fiona
who was trapped in a castle under a dragon's watchful eye. Shrek and Donkey travel to the castle, managing to rescue the princess and escape the castle.
During the journey back to Duloc, however, Shrek and Fiona start to fall for one another, hinted at by repeated scenes where their similarities were shown. After a short series of misadventures on the way to deliver her to Farquaad, Shrek finally realizes he's fallen in love with Fiona, only to become angry after hearing a conversation between her and Donkey, leading him to think she thought him as a hideous beast.
Shrek heads back to his newly acquired swamp, depressed over the recent events, until Donkey shows up, trying to claim ownership over half of the swamp. After a brief confrontation between the two, and they settle their differences, Donkey persuades Shrek to travel to Duloc, since he had realized long before that Shrek had fallen in love with Fiona. Using Dragon, whom Donkey seemed to have a relationship with, they arrived in Duloc to stop the marriage between Farquaad and Fiona, with Shrek publicly admitting that he loved her. After briefly being stopped by the guards, and the death of Farquaad, Shrek and Fiona admit their love for one another, and they kiss. Later, their wedding is shown, and the movie ends with their carriage disappearing into the sunset, where the second movie would start.
After a joyful honeymoon, Shrek and Fiona return home to the annoying house-sitter Donkey, urging that they wish to be alone. Suddenly, messengers of Fiona's kingdom ("Far Far Away") deliver an invitation from her parents, who wish to meet her new husband. Shrek doesn't want to go, but Fiona feels it's important to have her father's blessing.
After a long carriage ride, Shrek and Fiona make their grand appearance in front of the entire kingdom, resulting in everyone being stunned at their ogreish appearances. With some awkward greetings and suggestive angry stares, the meeting moves onto a dinner, which escalates into a heated argument between Shrek and King Harold. Upset by their behavior, Fiona leaves the table and goes to her room, where she is visited by the Fairy Godmother. Godmother seems to think that she is not yet married, and offers to help her find a husband despite her appearance. When Shrek arrives and sees how surprised Godmother is that he is Fiona's husband, he becomes fed up and treats her rudely. Shrek and Fiona argue about not staying, though Fiona feels the relationship is one-sided, since she changed for him and yet he remains unwilling to accept her family, or to even try to be friends with them.
While King Harold complains to his wife about Shrek, he is visited by the Fairy Godmother. It is revealed that the prince from the beginning of the movie ("Prince Charming") is her son, and that she and Harold had made a deal that Charming would marry Fiona. After being threatened by Godmother, Harold hires a mysterious person to kill Shrek. He then tricks Shrek and Donkey into meeting him on a hunting trail, supposedly so that they can get to know one another proposing the idea right after Shrek had been reading Fiona's diary
(which he calls a "scary book" and finding that when she was a child she was infatuated with Prince Charming). They are then attacked by Puss in Boots
: The "person" that Harold had hired. When the misunderstanding is resolved, Puss vows to accompany Shrek to make amends for the mistake. Shrek then uses a business card that Fairy Godmother had given him earlier and decides to meet with the Fairy Godmother at her factory, for help in mending his relationship with Fiona.
In the factory, the trio are dismissed by the Godmother's bigotry against Ogres having happily ever afters, and instead go to search for a beauty potion under the guise of being workers. Shrek grabs the potion and the trio escape. While leaving, Shrek reads the potion, though Donkey tries it first to see if it's effective; nothing happens. Shrek drinks as well, thinking it doesn't work on donkeys, though the results are the same except with more gas. It starts to rain and, disappointed, the trio start to leave. As they are leaving, a mushroom, onto which Shrek had sneezed some potion minutes before, suddenly glows blue and purple, and transforms into a rose. This is unnoticed by the trio. They find shelter from the rain in a small barn, where Donkey and Shrek inexplicably pass out; a glow, similar to the one seen on the mushroom, can be seen coming from inside the barn. Back at Far Far Away, Fiona tells her parents that it was "a mistake" to come there with Shrek, and that they will go back to the swamp as soon as she finds him. As her parents try to stop her, she also passes out; her parents put her to bed, and the same glow is seen to come from her bedroom.
In the morning, it is discovered that the potion did indeed work: Shrek was turned into a handsome human and Donkey into a stallion, greeted by three farmhand girls. In Far Far Away, Fiona surprisingly finds herself back in human form as well, but mistakes Charming for Shrek, since he explains his different voice and mannerisms as the effects of the potion. After being manipulated by the Fairy Godmother, Shrek leaves, believing Fiona would be happier with the prince of her dreams, until he discovers that the Godmother is Charming's mother and is going to force Fiona to fall in love with him. Shrek, Donkey, and Puss are arrested after being spotted, and are later rescued by Gingy and the others. To storm the castle, Shrek and Gingy visit the Muffin Man, who creates a giant gingerbread man to help in their quest. Shrek and Donkey storm through the castle, with Puss fending off the guards. Later, Shrek battles with Fairy Godmother, who tells Charming to kiss Fiona. The kiss proves ineffective since Harold didn't spike her tea with the love potion that was intended. Out of rage, Fairy Godmother strikes at Shrek with her wand, but Harold's interference reflects the magic back at her, reducing her to bubbles. The potion has an effect on Harold, too, and it is revealed he is actually a frog, to whom Fairy Godmother had given a happily ever after. Realizing his mistake, he apologizes and gives his blessing to Shrek and Fiona. When the clock strikes midnight, Shrek tells Fiona that if she wishes for them to stay in their human forms, then a kiss at that moment will make the spell permanent. Fiona makes him wait until they return back to normal, declaring she loves him as he is: As the ogre she married. A celebration goes underway with the seemingly dysfunctional family
becoming a truly grand one in song and dance.
Not wishing to rule, and wanting to return to the swamp, Shrek, Donkey, and Puss set out to search for Arthur. As they leave, Fiona tells Shrek that she is pregnant
. During the voyage
, Shrek starts to have a nightmare of having too many babies, later seeing Donkey and Puss with baby ogre faces as the nightmare continues. Shrek admits to Donkey that mostly he's afraid of being a bad parent, since ogres aren't generally known for being kind or loving.
Shrek first finds Arthur ("Artie") at his high school, where everyone has been bullying
him. Shrek starts to make Artie to go to Far Far Away, but Artie becomes uneasy by Puss and Donkey's bantering of the royal duties that await him. After being ship-wrecked, Shrek begins to lose his patience with the boy, but in light of Donkey's advice, attempts to communicate with him in "street". His attempts all fail until it's revealed Artie's father had abandoned him, which allows Shrek to find kinship with Artie since he too had issues with his own father. Shrek admits that his father tried to eat him as a child. In the morning, Shrek defeats Hook and the others sent by Charming, then with Merlin's help, returns to Far Far Away.
When Artie's life is threatened by Charming, Shrek boldly insults the boy in an effort to make him seem unimportant and save his life, stating that he needed a patsy loser to fill the royal job. Shrek becomes disenchanted over hurting Artie's feelings to save him, but keeps his sense of humor until his friends arrive to the rescue, with Artie talking the villains into reforming themselves. Artie assumes the role of king and Shrek now feels he is capable of being a father. The last scene shows he is the proud parent of ogre triplets, and though he makes mistakes, proves to be a great dad.
party, Shrek eventually becomes frustrated by his friends' antics and the harassment of villagers, eventually lashing out at them and getting into an argument with Fiona before storming off. While on his way, Shrek is approached by the con artist Rumpelstiltskin
, who offers to give him one day where his adventures never happened in exchange for a day from his childhood that Shrek wouldn't remember being erased. Though naturally suspicious, Shrek is enticed by the idea of a relaxing vacation and agrees, and is abruptly transported to a world where he is still feared by villagers. However, Shrek's day of causing mischief is cut short when he discovers wanted posters for the ogress Fiona and his home in the swamp to be a deserted tree stump
, and he is soon captured by witches under Rumpelstiltskin's command. As it turns out, the day that Rumpelstiltskin erased was the day that Shrek was born; thus, Shrek has been transported to an alternate timeline where he never existed and is unrecognized by everyone he knows. Rumpelstiltskin is now the king of Far Far Away, which has now become derelict and rotting, and uses the ogre population and some of Shrek's friends for slave labor. Furthermore, when the day ends, Shrek will cease to exist altogether. Shrek manages to escape and rescue the enslaved Donkey. After a few difficulties, Shrek and Donkey once again befriend each other, and, after Shrek explains the situation, Donkey helps him discover an exit clause: the contract will be rendered null and void if Shrek and Fiona share true love's kiss before the 24 hours are up.
Shrek and Donkey find Fiona, now the leader of a secret community of warrior ogres (who are all taller than Shrek), but is dismayed to realize she doesn't remember him, in addition to finding a fat and lazy Puss in Boots. He tries to win her heart, but Fiona dismisses his attempts and rejects him. During a training session, the two eventually fall for each other, and they set off to ambush Rumpelstiltskin. The ambush falls apart when the Pied Piper captures the ogres, and Shrek and Fiona are rescued by Puss and Donkey. Shrek shares a kiss with Fiona, but as she doesn't love him truly, the contract remains. Fiona leaves to save the ogres, but Shrek learns that Rumpelstiltskin has a bounty on his head, and whoever brings Shrek in will get whatever they want with no strings attached. Shrek turns himself in and in return the ogre army is freed, but Fiona remains, since she is a princess by day. Nonetheless, Fiona is moved by Shrek's sacrifice.
The two are to be fed to Dragon, but Puss and Donkey lead the ogres into battle against Rumpelstiltskin. The two work together to escape Dragon and capture Rumpelstiltskin. Unfortunately, the 24 hours are up and Shrek begins to fade from existence, professing his love for Fiona. Fiona, having fallen in love with him all over again, kisses him just before he disappears completely, breaking both Fiona's curse and the contract. The alternate reality falls apart, and Shrek is sent back in time to just before his outburst during the birthday party. Shrek embraces his family and friends, remarking that, when he saved Fiona from the tower, she in fact saved him from a life of loneliness and solitude. With newfound appreciation for everything he has, Shrek throws a birthday party for his children with his family and friends, having earned his happily ever after.
Shrek, along with all of the other characters, is last seen making a mud angel in the final shot of the film, which was done as a way of closing the film series.
, who earned a Tony nomination for it.
In the musical, it is revealed that on his seventh birthday Shrek was sent away by his parents because it was an ogre tradition. He is seen traveling alone, either being screamed at or teased by passers-by. The only time he receives a pleasant greeting is a wave from a young Fiona
, who is promptly led away by her parents. After scaring away an angry mob, he arrives at his swamp, enters an outhouse and literally breaks out as the adult Shrek.
The character has remained virtually unchanged in the musical, as does the plot. However, various minor details differ between the musical and the film.
Other actors to play the role include Ben Crawford (Broadway), Eric Petersen (National Tour), Jacob Ming-Trent (Broadway understudy), Brian Gonzales (Broadway/National Tour understudy), David Foley, Jr. (National Tour understudy), and from 2011 - Nigel Lindsay
(West End).
as part of their "Wal Mart Customers" commercial series. In back view, he also appeared in the Over The Hedge
DVD menu as a snack bag in the vending machine. In the commercial, Donkey and Shrek enter a Wal-Mart, where Shrek purchases and is then seen wearing blue jeans and an aloha shirt
. Shrek and Donkey also appeared alongside the other Shrek characters in an announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services urging children to engage in physical activity. They both also appeared in one of the THX
trailers.
On May 21, 2010 Shrek received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
in Los Angeles
.
Shrek also appears in Tony Hawk's Underground 2
as an unlockable skater.
A T-shirt
of Shrek appeared in See Homer Run
, a 2005 episode of The Simpsons
, with the slogan "Have a Shrek-tastic Father's Day
!"
Shrek also appears as playable character in Madagascar Kartz
.
Shrek also appears in an episode of Mad
called "Law & Ogre
", where he and Donkey try to solve the case of who murdered Papa Bear
. He is voiced by Nolan North
.
Shrek!
Shrek! is a picture book written and illustrated in 1990 by William Steig about a young ogre who finds the ogre of his dreams when he leaves home to see the world...
and the Shrek films
Shrek (series)
The Shrek film series from DreamWorks Animation, based on William Steig's picture book, Shrek!, consists of four computer-animated films including: Shrek , Shrek 2 , Shrek the Third , and Shrek Forever After . A short 3D film, Shrek 4-D, which originally was a theme park ride, was released in 2003...
. He is the main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of both the book and the films. The name "Shrek" is derived from the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Yiddish word "Schreck"/"Shreck", literally meaning "fear, terror."
Characteristics
Shrek is a large, green, physically intimidating ogreOgre
An ogre is a large, cruel, monstrous, and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore, and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature...
, with an accent described by Myers as "a Scottish guy
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
who's lived in Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
for forty years". Although his background is something of a mystery. Though surly, misanthropic, and venomously cranky, Shrek is peaceful and doesn't care to hurt anyone, but just wants to live his life in solitude and be left alone. Shrek is befriended by Donkey
Donkey (Shrek)
Donkey is a fictional talking donkey from the Shrek series of films and he serves as the deuteragonist of the films, voiced by Eddie Murphy. The character has also featured in the original story Shrek!...
, an excitable, hyperactive, and talking donkey
Donkey
The donkey or ass, Equus africanus asinus, is a domesticated member of the Equidae or horse family. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African Wild Ass, E...
. It is notable that when Shrek is first seen he is successfully scaring off villagers by roaring at them, but it later becomes obvious that they were only attacking him because he is an ogre, not because he had done anything particularly wrong. In the first Shrek movie, during a conversation with Donkey, he laments that he is constantly judged by the outside world the minute people meet him, and is thus better off alone. This implies that he became a recluse after trying and failing to find acceptance among others. Another factor causing lack of acceptance can be found in Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third
Shrek the Third is a 2007 American animated film, and the third film in the Shrek series. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007...
, it is revealed Shrek has a father who tried to eat
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
him as Shrek stated, "I guess I should have seen it coming. He used to bathe me in barbecue sauce and put me to bed with an apple in my mouth".
Shrek lives in an Ogre Swamp. The swamp, like any other swamp, is green and murky. The swamp contains small and big ponds of muddy water and also has geysers that squirt out mud. The swamp contains the living quarters of Shrek which consists of an outhouse and Shrek's house. The swamp is also a home to different kinds of species including the swamp slug that Shrek uses for his toothpaste. This basically beginning portrays Shrek as a real grubby beast. When he finds squatters where he lives, he agrees to the rescue of Princess Fiona to evict all the squatters. However, during the course of the mission, Shrek falls deeply in love with Fiona.
Since he is an ogre, Shrek has a considerable amount of physical strength, being able to break wood and metal constructs, get in physical combat with a number of armored humans and usually winning, unintentionally destroying a wooden vessel with a bottle of wine, and even lifting or turning objects that are too heavy for a normal human being, such as a gigantic vat of magic potion against the maximum security of the fairy godmother in Shrek 2.
In Far Far Away Idol, he sang "What I Like About You
What I Like About You (song)
"What I Like About You" is a song by American rock band The Romantics. The song, written by Romantics members Wally Palmar, Mike Skill and Jimmy Marinos is featured on the band's self-titled 1980 debut album, and was also released as a single. Marinos, the band's drummer, is the lead vocalist on...
" by The Romantics
The Romantics
The Romantics is an American New Wave band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1977. The band adopted the name "The Romantics" because they formed on Valentine's Day, 1977. The Romantics achieved popularity in the United Kingdom, The U.S...
with Fiona. Shrek has a little problem socializing due to the fact that people think he is a mean ugly ogre
Ogre
An ogre is a large, cruel, monstrous, and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore, and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature...
, even though his appearance is remarkably humanoid, wit a few cosmetic exceptions. In being in the process Shrek is said to have sociophobia. However, from Shrek the Third onward, Shrek has become a well-liked celebrity, at least in Far Far Away. In the fourth movie, people managed to realize that Shrek isn't dangerous and lost their fear and prejudice over him, but to Shrek's dismay, they also come to regard him as a folk hero
Folk hero
A folk hero is a type of hero, real, fictional, or mythological. The single salient characteristic which makes a character a folk hero is the imprinting of the name, personality and deeds of the character in the popular consciousness. This presence in the popular consciousness is evidenced by...
and visit him with even more frequency than before, disturbing him. But after the experiences of the movie, Shrek comes to appreciate his life more than ever.
Shrek
In the first film, Shrek is shown as a wicked, grumpy, and selfish ogre who lives a fairly carefree life in his swamp. This all comes to an end as Lord Farquaad evicts the fairytale creatures from their homes, causing them to move to Shrek's swamp. This crusade against abnormal creatures causes DonkeyDonkey (Shrek)
Donkey is a fictional talking donkey from the Shrek series of films and he serves as the deuteragonist of the films, voiced by Eddie Murphy. The character has also featured in the original story Shrek!...
, a talking miniature donkey, to literally run into Shrek.
Because of the squatters in Shrek's swamp, the ogre sets out for Duloc, where he ends up being an unwilling participant in a tournament for the 'privilege' to rescue Princess Fiona
Princess Fiona
Princess Fiona is the princess and the tritagonist in the films Shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After. Actress Cameron Diaz provides her voice to the character, and Fiona's singing is provided by Renee Sands of Kids Incorporated and Wild Orchid.-Shrek:In Shrek, Lord Farquaad sends...
who was trapped in a castle under a dragon's watchful eye. Shrek and Donkey travel to the castle, managing to rescue the princess and escape the castle.
During the journey back to Duloc, however, Shrek and Fiona start to fall for one another, hinted at by repeated scenes where their similarities were shown. After a short series of misadventures on the way to deliver her to Farquaad, Shrek finally realizes he's fallen in love with Fiona, only to become angry after hearing a conversation between her and Donkey, leading him to think she thought him as a hideous beast.
Shrek heads back to his newly acquired swamp, depressed over the recent events, until Donkey shows up, trying to claim ownership over half of the swamp. After a brief confrontation between the two, and they settle their differences, Donkey persuades Shrek to travel to Duloc, since he had realized long before that Shrek had fallen in love with Fiona. Using Dragon, whom Donkey seemed to have a relationship with, they arrived in Duloc to stop the marriage between Farquaad and Fiona, with Shrek publicly admitting that he loved her. After briefly being stopped by the guards, and the death of Farquaad, Shrek and Fiona admit their love for one another, and they kiss. Later, their wedding is shown, and the movie ends with their carriage disappearing into the sunset, where the second movie would start.
Shrek 2
As in the first movie, the story begins with a reading from a storybook, which is quite similar to the first one. However, it is narrated by an unknown voice, and interspersed with action shots of a man on horseback. When he arrives at the castle from the first movie and takes off his helmet, it is revealed that he himself is the narrator: An attractive, vain, self-absorbed prince. Instead of Fiona, he is surprised to find the Big Bad Wolf, who tells him that Fiona's "on her honeymoon."After a joyful honeymoon, Shrek and Fiona return home to the annoying house-sitter Donkey, urging that they wish to be alone. Suddenly, messengers of Fiona's kingdom ("Far Far Away") deliver an invitation from her parents, who wish to meet her new husband. Shrek doesn't want to go, but Fiona feels it's important to have her father's blessing.
After a long carriage ride, Shrek and Fiona make their grand appearance in front of the entire kingdom, resulting in everyone being stunned at their ogreish appearances. With some awkward greetings and suggestive angry stares, the meeting moves onto a dinner, which escalates into a heated argument between Shrek and King Harold. Upset by their behavior, Fiona leaves the table and goes to her room, where she is visited by the Fairy Godmother. Godmother seems to think that she is not yet married, and offers to help her find a husband despite her appearance. When Shrek arrives and sees how surprised Godmother is that he is Fiona's husband, he becomes fed up and treats her rudely. Shrek and Fiona argue about not staying, though Fiona feels the relationship is one-sided, since she changed for him and yet he remains unwilling to accept her family, or to even try to be friends with them.
While King Harold complains to his wife about Shrek, he is visited by the Fairy Godmother. It is revealed that the prince from the beginning of the movie ("Prince Charming") is her son, and that she and Harold had made a deal that Charming would marry Fiona. After being threatened by Godmother, Harold hires a mysterious person to kill Shrek. He then tricks Shrek and Donkey into meeting him on a hunting trail, supposedly so that they can get to know one another proposing the idea right after Shrek had been reading Fiona's diary
Diary
A diary is a record with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person's experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comment on current events outside the writer's direct experience. Someone...
(which he calls a "scary book" and finding that when she was a child she was infatuated with Prince Charming). They are then attacked by Puss in Boots
Puss in Boots (Shrek)
Puss in Boots is a fictional cat and a supporting character in the Shrek film series, as well as the primary protagonist of the 2011 spin-off prequel Puss in Boots. He is voiced in English and both Spanish versions by Antonio Banderas...
: The "person" that Harold had hired. When the misunderstanding is resolved, Puss vows to accompany Shrek to make amends for the mistake. Shrek then uses a business card that Fairy Godmother had given him earlier and decides to meet with the Fairy Godmother at her factory, for help in mending his relationship with Fiona.
In the factory, the trio are dismissed by the Godmother's bigotry against Ogres having happily ever afters, and instead go to search for a beauty potion under the guise of being workers. Shrek grabs the potion and the trio escape. While leaving, Shrek reads the potion, though Donkey tries it first to see if it's effective; nothing happens. Shrek drinks as well, thinking it doesn't work on donkeys, though the results are the same except with more gas. It starts to rain and, disappointed, the trio start to leave. As they are leaving, a mushroom, onto which Shrek had sneezed some potion minutes before, suddenly glows blue and purple, and transforms into a rose. This is unnoticed by the trio. They find shelter from the rain in a small barn, where Donkey and Shrek inexplicably pass out; a glow, similar to the one seen on the mushroom, can be seen coming from inside the barn. Back at Far Far Away, Fiona tells her parents that it was "a mistake" to come there with Shrek, and that they will go back to the swamp as soon as she finds him. As her parents try to stop her, she also passes out; her parents put her to bed, and the same glow is seen to come from her bedroom.
In the morning, it is discovered that the potion did indeed work: Shrek was turned into a handsome human and Donkey into a stallion, greeted by three farmhand girls. In Far Far Away, Fiona surprisingly finds herself back in human form as well, but mistakes Charming for Shrek, since he explains his different voice and mannerisms as the effects of the potion. After being manipulated by the Fairy Godmother, Shrek leaves, believing Fiona would be happier with the prince of her dreams, until he discovers that the Godmother is Charming's mother and is going to force Fiona to fall in love with him. Shrek, Donkey, and Puss are arrested after being spotted, and are later rescued by Gingy and the others. To storm the castle, Shrek and Gingy visit the Muffin Man, who creates a giant gingerbread man to help in their quest. Shrek and Donkey storm through the castle, with Puss fending off the guards. Later, Shrek battles with Fairy Godmother, who tells Charming to kiss Fiona. The kiss proves ineffective since Harold didn't spike her tea with the love potion that was intended. Out of rage, Fairy Godmother strikes at Shrek with her wand, but Harold's interference reflects the magic back at her, reducing her to bubbles. The potion has an effect on Harold, too, and it is revealed he is actually a frog, to whom Fairy Godmother had given a happily ever after. Realizing his mistake, he apologizes and gives his blessing to Shrek and Fiona. When the clock strikes midnight, Shrek tells Fiona that if she wishes for them to stay in their human forms, then a kiss at that moment will make the spell permanent. Fiona makes him wait until they return back to normal, declaring she loves him as he is: As the ogre she married. A celebration goes underway with the seemingly dysfunctional family
Dysfunctional family
A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often abuse on the part of individual members occur continually and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is...
becoming a truly grand one in song and dance.
Shrek the Third
Shrek and Fiona take on the responsibilities as King and Queen while Fiona's father Harold remained bedridden. After many overwhelming mistakes and disasters, Shrek is ready to give up and leave until a messenger tells them that the Frog King was dying. Despite Harold's confidence in Shrek being a good king, he does mention another heir named Arthur, and leaves it to Shrek to do the right thing.Not wishing to rule, and wanting to return to the swamp, Shrek, Donkey, and Puss set out to search for Arthur. As they leave, Fiona tells Shrek that she is pregnant
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
. During the voyage
Voyage
- In music: :* Voyage * Voyage * Voyage , by In Fear and Faith* Voyage , by Ayumi Hamasaki* Voyage , a disco music group** Voyage, an album by the eponymous band...
, Shrek starts to have a nightmare of having too many babies, later seeing Donkey and Puss with baby ogre faces as the nightmare continues. Shrek admits to Donkey that mostly he's afraid of being a bad parent, since ogres aren't generally known for being kind or loving.
Shrek first finds Arthur ("Artie") at his high school, where everyone has been bullying
School bullying
School bullying is a type of bullying that occurs in connection with education, either inside or outside of school. Bullying can be physical, verbal, or emotional and is usually repeated over a period of time.In schools, bullying occurs in all areas...
him. Shrek starts to make Artie to go to Far Far Away, but Artie becomes uneasy by Puss and Donkey's bantering of the royal duties that await him. After being ship-wrecked, Shrek begins to lose his patience with the boy, but in light of Donkey's advice, attempts to communicate with him in "street". His attempts all fail until it's revealed Artie's father had abandoned him, which allows Shrek to find kinship with Artie since he too had issues with his own father. Shrek admits that his father tried to eat him as a child. In the morning, Shrek defeats Hook and the others sent by Charming, then with Merlin's help, returns to Far Far Away.
When Artie's life is threatened by Charming, Shrek boldly insults the boy in an effort to make him seem unimportant and save his life, stating that he needed a patsy loser to fill the royal job. Shrek becomes disenchanted over hurting Artie's feelings to save him, but keeps his sense of humor until his friends arrive to the rescue, with Artie talking the villains into reforming themselves. Artie assumes the role of king and Shrek now feels he is capable of being a father. The last scene shows he is the proud parent of ogre triplets, and though he makes mistakes, proves to be a great dad.
Shrek Forever After
Shrek has grown tired of the overwhelming life of raising his children, dealing with his eccentric friends, and being a local, un-feared celebrity, and starts to long for the days when he felt like a "real ogre". While trying to throw his children a birthdayBirthday
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders , Christmas – which is celebrated widely by...
party, Shrek eventually becomes frustrated by his friends' antics and the harassment of villagers, eventually lashing out at them and getting into an argument with Fiona before storming off. While on his way, Shrek is approached by the con artist Rumpelstiltskin
Rumpelstiltskin
Rumpelstiltskin is the eponymous character and protagonist of a fairy tale which originated in Germany . The tale was collected by the Brothers Grimm, who first published it in the 1812 edition of Children's and Household Tales...
, who offers to give him one day where his adventures never happened in exchange for a day from his childhood that Shrek wouldn't remember being erased. Though naturally suspicious, Shrek is enticed by the idea of a relaxing vacation and agrees, and is abruptly transported to a world where he is still feared by villagers. However, Shrek's day of causing mischief is cut short when he discovers wanted posters for the ogress Fiona and his home in the swamp to be a deserted tree stump
Tree stump
After a tree has been cut and felled, the stump or tree stump is usually a small remaining portion of the trunk with the roots still in the ground. Stumps may show the age-defining rings of a tree. The study of these rings is known as dendrochronology....
, and he is soon captured by witches under Rumpelstiltskin's command. As it turns out, the day that Rumpelstiltskin erased was the day that Shrek was born; thus, Shrek has been transported to an alternate timeline where he never existed and is unrecognized by everyone he knows. Rumpelstiltskin is now the king of Far Far Away, which has now become derelict and rotting, and uses the ogre population and some of Shrek's friends for slave labor. Furthermore, when the day ends, Shrek will cease to exist altogether. Shrek manages to escape and rescue the enslaved Donkey. After a few difficulties, Shrek and Donkey once again befriend each other, and, after Shrek explains the situation, Donkey helps him discover an exit clause: the contract will be rendered null and void if Shrek and Fiona share true love's kiss before the 24 hours are up.
Shrek and Donkey find Fiona, now the leader of a secret community of warrior ogres (who are all taller than Shrek), but is dismayed to realize she doesn't remember him, in addition to finding a fat and lazy Puss in Boots. He tries to win her heart, but Fiona dismisses his attempts and rejects him. During a training session, the two eventually fall for each other, and they set off to ambush Rumpelstiltskin. The ambush falls apart when the Pied Piper captures the ogres, and Shrek and Fiona are rescued by Puss and Donkey. Shrek shares a kiss with Fiona, but as she doesn't love him truly, the contract remains. Fiona leaves to save the ogres, but Shrek learns that Rumpelstiltskin has a bounty on his head, and whoever brings Shrek in will get whatever they want with no strings attached. Shrek turns himself in and in return the ogre army is freed, but Fiona remains, since she is a princess by day. Nonetheless, Fiona is moved by Shrek's sacrifice.
The two are to be fed to Dragon, but Puss and Donkey lead the ogres into battle against Rumpelstiltskin. The two work together to escape Dragon and capture Rumpelstiltskin. Unfortunately, the 24 hours are up and Shrek begins to fade from existence, professing his love for Fiona. Fiona, having fallen in love with him all over again, kisses him just before he disappears completely, breaking both Fiona's curse and the contract. The alternate reality falls apart, and Shrek is sent back in time to just before his outburst during the birthday party. Shrek embraces his family and friends, remarking that, when he saved Fiona from the tower, she in fact saved him from a life of loneliness and solitude. With newfound appreciation for everything he has, Shrek throws a birthday party for his children with his family and friends, having earned his happily ever after.
Shrek, along with all of the other characters, is last seen making a mud angel in the final shot of the film, which was done as a way of closing the film series.
Shrek (In Theatre)
Shrek appears in the stage musical version of the 2001 film which debuted in 2008. The role was originated by Broadway actor Brian d'Arcy JamesBrian d'Arcy James
Brian d'Arcy James is an American actor and musician.-Personal life:James was born in Saginaw, Michigan, the son of Mary , a seller of children's books, and a lawyer father, Thomas F. James. Brian's maternal grandfather was Harry F. Kelly, former Governor of the state of Michigan...
, who earned a Tony nomination for it.
In the musical, it is revealed that on his seventh birthday Shrek was sent away by his parents because it was an ogre tradition. He is seen traveling alone, either being screamed at or teased by passers-by. The only time he receives a pleasant greeting is a wave from a young Fiona
Princess Fiona
Princess Fiona is the princess and the tritagonist in the films Shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After. Actress Cameron Diaz provides her voice to the character, and Fiona's singing is provided by Renee Sands of Kids Incorporated and Wild Orchid.-Shrek:In Shrek, Lord Farquaad sends...
, who is promptly led away by her parents. After scaring away an angry mob, he arrives at his swamp, enters an outhouse and literally breaks out as the adult Shrek.
The character has remained virtually unchanged in the musical, as does the plot. However, various minor details differ between the musical and the film.
Other actors to play the role include Ben Crawford (Broadway), Eric Petersen (National Tour), Jacob Ming-Trent (Broadway understudy), Brian Gonzales (Broadway/National Tour understudy), David Foley, Jr. (National Tour understudy), and from 2011 - Nigel Lindsay
Nigel Lindsay
Nigel Lindsay is an English actor. He was nominated for Best British Comedy Performance in Film at the 2011 British Comedy Awards for his performance as Barry, the Muslim convert in Chris Morris's BAFTA winning Four Lions and won the 2011 Whatsonstage Award for Best Supporting Actor as Dr Harry...
(West End).
Other appearances outside the film series
Shrek has also made appearances promoting breakfast cereals and candy, such as M&Ms that were colored swamp green. Shrek and Donkey appeared in a commercial for Wal-MartWal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
as part of their "Wal Mart Customers" commercial series. In back view, he also appeared in the Over The Hedge
Over the Hedge (film)
Over the Hedge is a 2006 computer animated family action comedy film based on the characters from United Media comic strip of the same name. Directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick, and produced by Bonnie Arnold, it was released in the United States on May 19, 2006.The film was produced by...
DVD menu as a snack bag in the vending machine. In the commercial, Donkey and Shrek enter a Wal-Mart, where Shrek purchases and is then seen wearing blue jeans and an aloha shirt
Aloha shirt
The Aloha shirt commonly referred to as a Hawaiian shirt is a style of dress shirt originating in Hawaii. It is currently the premier textile export of the Hawaii manufacturing industry. The shirts are printed, mostly short-sleeved, and collared. They usually have buttons, sometimes as a complete...
. Shrek and Donkey also appeared alongside the other Shrek characters in an announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services urging children to engage in physical activity. They both also appeared in one of the THX
THX
THX is a trade name of a high-fidelity audio/visual reproduction standard for movie theaters, screening rooms, home theaters, computer speakers, gaming consoles, and car audio systems. The current THX was created in 2001 when it spun off from Lucasfilm Ltd...
trailers.
On May 21, 2010 Shrek received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Shrek also appears in Tony Hawk's Underground 2
Tony Hawk's Underground 2
Tony Hawk's Underground 2, also known as THUG 2, is the sixth installment in Neversoft's Tony Hawk's Series and sequel to Tony Hawk's Underground. Tony Hawk's Underground 2 was released on October 4, 2004 for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, PC, and Game Boy Advance platforms...
as an unlockable skater.
A T-shirt
T-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
of Shrek appeared in See Homer Run
See Homer Run
"See Homer Run" is the sixth episode of the 17th season of The Simpsons.-Plot:On Father's Day, Homer is profoundly impressed by Bart's gift — a Leather Buddy multi-function knife, holding which he fantasizes about rescuing Marge from pirates — and proudly tells Bart that it is the...
, a 2005 episode of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, with the slogan "Have a Shrek-tastic Father's Day
Father's Day
Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days...
!"
Shrek also appears as playable character in Madagascar Kartz
Madagascar Kartz
Madagascar Kartz is a racing game based on DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar. It was released on October 27, 2009 and the second game on Madagascar's spin-off series. The game uses the Wii Wheel, despite the cover.- Gameplay :...
.
Shrek also appears in an episode of Mad
Mad (TV series)
MAD is an American animated sketch comedy series created by Kevin Shinick and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Based upon the magazine of the same name, each episode is a collection of short animated parodies of television shows, movies, games, celebrities and other media using various types of...
called "Law & Ogre
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
", where he and Donkey try to solve the case of who murdered Papa Bear
Papa Bear
Papa Bear can mean:* Papa Bear * Papa Bear, one of the Berenstein Bears* a character from The Three Bears* a nickname of American football coach George Halas* a nickname of American news commentator Bill O'Reilly....
. He is voiced by Nolan North
Nolan North
Nolan Ramsey North is an American actor and voice actor born in New Haven, Connecticut. He has been described as "the nearest thing the games industry has to a bona fide leading man."-Biography:...
.