Heroism

The protagonist of a fairy tale is often a courageous man who risks mortal danger in order to achieve some noble quest. The king's attendant in this story is heroic in every way. He is the only one "loyal and courageous" enough to go in search of a feather from the ogre. Along his journey, he accepts further challenges without hesitation. As a result, he performs many good deeds, helping others out of their predicaments. With the help of the heroine, he effectively prevents the ogre from doing further harm in the world. His heroism is abundantly rewarded in the end with both material wealth from the king and the hand in marriage of a "beautiful girl."

Good versus Evil

Most fairy tales make clear distinctions between good and evil and generally demonstrate that good always triumphs over evil. The ogre in this story is a clear embodiment...