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2. Prince Phillip:   “But don’t you remember? We’ve met before!”

Briar Rose: “We . . . we have?”

Prince Phillip: “Of course, you said so yourself: Once upon a dream!”

After the romantic initial meeting of Briar Rose and Phillip in the glen, Rose becomes confused by her attraction to this stranger. Phillip, instantly comprehending Rose’s inherent goodness, understands her caution at conversing with a stranger and humorously attempts to convince her that they already have a relationship. This teasing plays into the idea that their relationship has been somewhat predetermined and that their meeting was simply a matter of time. Phillip picks up instantly on Briar Rose’s belief that true love is preordained, instant, and forever. They unite in idealizing a romantic relationship and play on the dream motif of the film. This exchange also establishes Phillip as the calmer half of the pair, more confident and more in control. By contrast, Briar Rose is a tittering wreck experiencing love’s first tugs on her adolescent heart. Their initial meeting also foreshadows their eventual marriage, which proves Rose’s dream true. Though she isn’t aware of it now, she will in fact marry the Prince of her dreams, and “Once Upon a Dream” will play during their triumphant moment of reuniting.

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