Agony (Reprise)

“Agony (Reprise)” from the musical *Into The Woods* is a satirical and humorous exploration of the frustrations and ironies faced by fairy tale princes. The song is performed by Cinderella's Prince and Rapunzel's Prince, who lament their unfulfilled desires and the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that keep them from their respective loves. The lyrics are rich with irony, as the princes express their agony over women they have never truly met or known, highlighting the absurdity of their romantic quests.

Cinderella's Prince describes a beauty asleep in a high tower surrounded by a thicket of briar, while Rapunzel's Prince speaks of a maiden in a glass casket guarded by a dwarf. Their exaggerated descriptions and the triviality of their complaints—such as a fear of blood or an aversion to dwarfs—underscore the comedic nature of their plight. The song mocks the traditional fairy tale narrative where princes are often depicted as heroic figures overcoming great odds to rescue damsels in distress. Instead, these princes are portrayed as melodramatic and somewhat inept, more in love with the idea of a challenge than with the women themselves.

The repeated use of the word “agony” emphasizes the princes' self-pity and the hyperbolic nature of their suffering. They bemoan the tasks that are “unachievable” and “mountains unscalable,” yet their complaints are trivialized by their own admissions of cowardice and superficiality. The song concludes with a return to their mundane lives, as they resign themselves to their wives, suggesting a lack of genuine commitment to their romantic ideals. This satirical take on fairy tale tropes invites the audience to question the authenticity of such stories and the true nature of heroism and love.