4. Maleficent: “No,
it cannot be! Now shall you deal with me, O Prince, and all the
powers of hell!”
After the Prince escapes Maleficent’s
flaming castle and defeats her sudden forest of thorns, he stands
ready to make a safe return to Stefan’s castle. Maleficent must
gather all her powers and appear in person for a final standoff
with the Prince. The fact that Maleficent uses the word hell at
this crucial juncture effectively shocks the audience and further
cements her evil nature. Phillip, Stefan, or Aurora couldn’t possibly
use the word hell, and its appearance here proves without
a doubt that Maleficent really is a member of the other side. Maleficent’s
use of the word hell suggests that the film’s war between
Good and Evil is actually a religious battle. If Maleficent can
conjure the powers of hell, she is obviously a devil and an unbeliever,
and her murder is justified. By association, too, the people opposing
her must be devout, God-fearing believers.