Donkey (Shrek)

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Donkey
Shrek character
Donkey (Shrek).png
First appearance Shrek! (1990 book)
Shrek (2001 film)
Created by William Steig
Adapted by Ted Elliott
Terry Rossio
Joe Stillman
Roger S. H. Schulman
Voiced by Eddie Murphy (2001– present)
Mark Moseley (2001–2015)
Dean Edwards (2010–2011)
In-universe information
Species Donkey
Horse (briefly)
GenderMale
FamilyDonkey Senior (great-grandfather) Great-Great Grampy Don-Don (great-great-uncle) Unnamed mother Unnamed grandmother
Spouse Dragon
ChildrenDebbie, Coco, Bananas, Peanut, Parfait & Eclair

Donkey is a fictional character created by William Steig and adapted by DreamWorks Animation for the Shrek franchise. He is voiced primarily by Eddie Murphy. Donkey is an anthropomorphic donkey and his appearance is modeled after a miniature donkey named Perry. [1] He is depicted with grey fur, brown eyes, and a black mane. In the franchise, he is the sidekick and best friend of Shrek, husband to Dragon, and father to a litter of Dronkeys (Dragon-Donkeys). As the series' comic relief character, Donkey is well-regarded by critics for his wit, wisdom, and humor.

Contents

Donkey in Shrek films

Shrek (2001)

Donkey made his debut in the 2001 film Shrek at a sale of mythical characters from old fairy tales, being sold to the evil Lord Farquaad's knights. Donkey's special power was his ability to talk, which his owner, an old woman, tried to capitalize on. Following a lucky escape, he befriends Shrek, who, although annoyed by Donkey's non-stop chatter, slowly and reluctantly develops an affection for him.

Donkey requests to stay with Shrek since he has no one else. At first, Shrek refuses, before finally giving in, although he only allows him to stay outside of his house for one night. Donkey denies any involvement when Shrek finds all the creatures from fairy tales living in his swamp. The creatures admit that Lord Farquaad drove them out of that location. Donkey is the only one who is prepared to lead him, and since he knows where Farquaad is, Shrek decides to accompany him.

However, when they arrive, Farquaad has his men try to kill Shrek in an arena to find the perfect champion to find and bring him back Princess Fiona, whom he wants to make his bride. Donkey and Shrek defeat Farquaad's men, and Farquaad decides to have Shrek be his champion instead. However, Shrek shows no interest and only demands his swamp back. When Farquaad offers Shrek a deal to return him his swamp if he agrees to go on the quest, Shrek agrees, and Donkey follows Shrek on his quest to find Fiona. While coming to the castle, Donkey unintentionally catches the unwanted attention of the fire-breathing dragon guarding the Princess.

Shrek escapes, but Donkey is caught and cornered. Before the dragon attempts to doom him, he tries to avoid his fate by complimenting the dragon, whom he discovers is a female, and the dragon is greatly flattered by Donkey's compliments. She takes him to her lair to be intimate with him. However, Shrek rescues Donkey before things become too personal, and the two narrowly escape with the Princess before the dragon catches up.

One night, during camp, Donkey asks Shrek why he hates everyone so much, and Shrek angrily reveals that everyone judges him as a scary monster before getting to know him. Donkey acknowledges that he already knew that there was more to Shrek's character when they met. Donkey begins to notice a romance between Fiona and Shrek, despite their denials. The next night, Donkey goes inside a windmill to talk to the Princess, only to discover that she becomes an ogre herself after sunset. Shrek overhears them talking and misinterprets the conversation as Fiona insulting him. The next day, Shrek berates her for what she supposedly said, and Lord Farquaad comes to take her.

Donkey tries to clarify the whole situation to Shrek, who also angrily insults him. Hurt and enraged, Donkey claims his half of the swamp for his hard work helping him. The two get into a heated argument, whereupon Donkey finally explains that Fiona did not say that Shrek was ugly, and the two reconcile. Donkey then has the dragon, whom he reconnected with earlier, take him and Shrek to Fiona's wedding, where the dragon devours Farquaad. After Shrek saves Fiona, Donkey sings "I'm a Believer" at Shrek and Fiona's wedding reception and takes his love, Dragon, as his wife. On Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party!, he sings "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot.

Shrek 2 (2004)

Donkey as a stallion DonkeyStallion.png
Donkey as a stallion

Donkey first appears in the film, having been remaining at Shrek's house while Shrek and Fiona were away on their honeymoon. When they return, Shrek tells Donkey to leave, but Donkey is hesitant. Fiona suggests that he should return for Dragon's sake, but he then reveals that he is having troubles in his relationship with Dragon as she was acting strangely, but he could not determine the cause, so he decides to move back in with them. However, Shrek makes him leave.

As Shrek and Fiona begin to have a moment, Donkey abruptly returns and interrupts, claiming that a chariot of royal men has arrived. A messenger appears and tells the newlywed couple that Fiona's parents have invited them to a royal ball to celebrate their marriage, as well as for her father to give his royal blessing. Shrek is completely hesitant to accept, as he knows that her parents will never accept them as Ogres, though he eventually gives up and goes. He and Fiona are accompanied by Donkey to the Far Far Away kingdom, who repeatedly asks, "Are we there yet?" whilst Shrek and Fiona keep answering no.

He then meets Puss in Boots and becomes jealous as he is spending a lot of time with Shrek. By the end of the film, they are great friends. At one point in the film, he reveals that he was the donkey traded by Jack for the magic beans, which greatly offended him. He and Shrek ended up drinking the "Happily Ever After" potion from the Fairy Godmother's workshop and while Shrek transformed into a handsome human, Donkey became a magnificently bred and handsome white stallion (albeit with the same buck teeth and voice, and on the bottle it read that the potion is not for those with nervous disorders, after which Shrek and everyone else stares at Donkey as it is strongly hinted that Donkey has one, but he remains clueless as to the reason of why everyone is staring at him).

Shrek and Puss ride Donkey back to the castle. When Shrek goes inside, Fiona (who had also changed back to human form) comes running out to find Shrek. Donkey then explains why they changed, and that Shrek went inside looking for her. However, Shrek comes back outside heartbroken after Fiona went back in, as Charming and Fairy Godmother beat them both to it: Charming tricking Fiona into thinking he is Shrek, and Fairy Godmother convincing Shrek that Fiona is better off with Charming. Shrek, Donkey and Puss lament in a bar called the Poison Apple, only to discover Fiona's father Harold secretly talking to Fairy Godmother, revealing the scam. Unfortunately, they are both caught when Donkey's talking habits cause him to accidentally blurt out, completely exposing them. They are eventually caught and captured by Godmother's men and are arrested. However, the other fairy tale creatures witness this and break them out, and Gingy has the Muffin Man create a giant, Godzilla-sized Gingerbread man called Mongo, whom Donkey helps lead to the castle. They succeed in getting in, but Mongo is defeated by the castle's guards.

After the Fairy Godmother is defeated, and the trio finished their mission with victory, both Donkey and Shrek return to their normal forms. Donkey seemed to be quite disappointed at returning to his original form, although Shrek told Donkey he still sees Donkey as "a noble steed." Donkey later sings "Livin' la Vida Loca" along with Puss during the party. After the credits, Donkey and Dragon are reunited, and he meets their newborn children, Dronkeys. Upon seeing his new kids, Donkey ends up exclaiming: "I gotta get a job!". He later sings "Disco Inferno" on Far Far Away Idol.

Shrek the Third (2007)

Donkey is enjoying fatherhood in Shrek the Third , and he is still first and foremost Shrek's sidekick and closest friend. When Far Far Away is in need of a new king, Donkey ventures off with Shrek in search of Fiona's cousin Arthur Pendragon, known simply as Artie, at the Worcestershire boarding school where he resides. In their magical transport back to Far Far Away (aided by a slightly off-kilter Merlin), Donkey and Puss accidentally switch bodies.

Puss finds Donkey's quadrupedal form hideous, while Donkey can't figure out how Puss can walk with such fancy accoutrements. They are forced to put their differences aside in order to save Far Far Away from a vindictive Prince Charming. After Charming is defeated, Merlin comes to change them back, but accidentally switches their tails (in the next scene, their tails have been corrected as well). He later is seen playing with Shrek's newborn ogre triplets.

Donkey is last seen in the credits performing "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)", along with Puss, to the ogre triplets.

Shrek Forever After (2010)

In the fourth film, Donkey brings his Dronkeys over to Shrek's swamp often, much to Shrek's annoyance at the ensuing daily chaos. He takes part in innocently ruining Shrek's babies' birthday party.

In Rumplestiltskin's alternate universe, Donkey first meets Shrek when he pulls a wagon the ogre is imprisoned in, and is forced to sing (reminiscent of a car stereo) by the witches, who whip him to change songs. After being taken to Rumplestiltskin, Shrek escapes and takes Donkey with him, much to the latter's chagrin. At first, Donkey fears Shrek and runs away, but returns after seeing Shrek cry over his babies' toy. Having never seen an ogre cry before, Donkey decides to trust Shrek and befriends him.

Donkey also proves to be highly intelligent, and helps Shrek find a loophole in Rumplestiltskin's contract, comparing Shrek's situation to The Twilight Zone . The duo meet Fiona, Puss, and the rebellion of ogres in the woods, and Donkey befriends Puss in Boots and the ogres as well. Donkey later saves Shrek and Fiona from the Pied Piper (at Puss' urging), and then leads the assault on Rumplestiltskin's castle. He also attempts to seduce the Dragon, having learned from Shrek that she is his wife in the other reality, to stop her from eating Shrek and Fiona, but he fails to do so. Luckily, none of them are harmed. After Rumplestiltskin is defeated, Donkey sadly watches as Shrek begins to turn into pixie dust when his time is up.

In the ending, with reality restored, Donkey celebrates Shrek's children's birthday. Later on, he is seen with Dragon, who playfully gobbles him up. Finally, he and other characters make mud angels.

Other appearances

Donkey appears in the following works:

Character development

Perry, a miniature donkey in Palo Alto, California, was used as the model for Donkey Perry-miniature-donkey-in-Palo-Alto-CA-2016.jpg
Perry, a miniature donkey in Palo Alto, California, was used as the model for Donkey

Donkey was modeled after Perry, a miniature donkey who lives in Cornelis Bol Park in Palo Alto, California. [1] Pacific Data Images (based in nearby Redwood City) paid $75 for the right to make photographs, video recordings, and sketches of Perry which were used to create the Donkey character. [1]

As of May 2024, Perry was 29 years old (i.e., elderly for a donkey) and dealing with several age-related health conditions which had caused the cost of his health care to skyrocket. [3] That month, the Palo Alto City Council approved a $10,000 grant to help cover the cost of caring for such a famous donkey, although there was some debate over whether it was financially responsible to give that much money to a donkey. [3]

Reception

The donkey is a traditional character in folktales, serving as the fool who exposes the foolishness of other characters. An example of this is Bottom from A Midsummer Night's Dream . Donkey's characterization was praised by critics, calling him "hilarious" and "the highlight of the film". [4] He represents an instinctual wisdom or "gut knowledge" that is essential to helping both Shrek and Fiona. [5] His folk wisdom breaks through Shrek's layers of masculinity to help him integrate better with other people, including women. [4]

Nevertheless, due to being voiced by Eddie Murphy, Donkey was noted as being similar to black sidekicks paired with white male stars in films such as Lethal Weapon (1987) and Die Hard (1988). He has been criticized as drawing on racial stereotypes of African Americans, both as a sidekick and due to his cowardly, comedic personality. [5] Murphy's casting as a "servile" beast of burden was condemned for its racist undertones. [6]

Related Research Articles

Adaptations of <i>Puss in Boots</i> Adaptations of a fairy tale about a cat

'Puss' is a character in the fairy tale "The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots" by Charles Perrault. The tale was published in 1697 in his Histoires ou Contes du temps passé. The tale of a cat helping an impoverished master attain wealth through its trickery is known in hundreds of variants.

<i>Shrek 2</i> 2004 DreamWorks Animation film

Shrek 2 is a 2004 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book Shrek! by William Steig. Directed by Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon from a screenplay by Adamson, Joe Stillman, and the writing team of J. David Stem and David N. Weiss, it is the sequel to Shrek (2001) and the second installment in the Shrek film series. The film stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz, who reprise their respective voice roles of Shrek, Donkey, and Princess Fiona. They are joined by new characters voiced by Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Rupert Everett, and Jennifer Saunders. Shrek 2 takes place following the events of the first film, with Shrek and Donkey meeting Fiona's parents as the zealous Fairy Godmother, who wants Fiona to marry her son Prince Charming, plots to destroy Shrek and Fiona's marriage. Shrek and Donkey team up with a sword-wielding cat named Puss in Boots to foil her plans.

<i>Shrek the Third</i> 2007 film by Chris Miller

Shrek the Third is a 2007 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book Shrek! by William Steig. Directed by Chris Miller and co-directed by Raman Hui from a screenplay by Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, Miller, and producer Aron Warner, and a story conceived by Andrew Adamson, co-director of the previous two installments, it is the sequel to Shrek 2 (2004) and the third installment in the Shrek film series. The film features Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Rupert Everett, Julie Andrews, and John Cleese reprising their voice roles from the previous films, along with new additions Justin Timberlake as Arthur Pendragon and Eric Idle as Merlin. In the film, Prince Charming is plotting to overthrow Shrek and Fiona, who have inherited the throne following King Harold's death. Shrek has no interest in ruling the kingdom and attempts to convince Fiona's underachieving 16-year-old cousin Artie to reign instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Fiona</span> Fictional character in the Shrek franchise

Princess Fiona is a fictional character in DreamWorks' Shrek franchise. One of the film series' main characters, Fiona first appears in Shrek (2001) as a beautiful princess cursed to transform into an ogre at night. She is initially determined to break the enchantment by kissing a prince, only to meet and fall in love with Shrek, an ogre, instead. The character's origins and relationships with other characters are further explored in subsequent films: she introduces her new husband, Shrek, to her parents in Shrek 2 (2004); becomes a mother by Shrek the Third (2007); and is an empowered warrior in Shrek Forever After (2010), much of which takes place in an alternate reality in which Fiona and Shrek never meet.

Shrek 4-D is an animated 4D film based on the Shrek franchise created by DreamWorks Animation, itself based on the book by William Steig. It also is a 4D simulator ride attraction with motion-based effects and water sprayers located at various theme parks around the world. It is currently shown at Universal Destinations & Experiences in Singapore, and previously in Universal Studios Florida, Hollywood, and Japan. The Hollywood location closed on August 14, 2017, to make way for the DreamWorks Theatre attraction, the Orlando location closed on January 10, 2022, to make way for Illumination's Villain-Con Minion Blast, and the Japan location closed on February 9, 2024. Outside the Universal parks, the movie was shown at Movie Park Germany in Germany from May 2008 until July 2011, and Warner Bros. Movie World in Australia from September 2005 until August 2010. A spin-off attraction titled Donkey's Photo Finish is located at the Florida venue while Meet Shrek and Donkey is located at the Hollywood venue. In Universal Studios Japan, the attraction is shown in the same theater as Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic, with the Shrek 4-D film shown for the first 12 hours of the day, and the Sesame Street film shown for the next 12 hours of the day.

<i>Shrek SuperSlam</i> 2005 video game

Shrek SuperSlam is a fighting video game featuring characters from the Shrek film series. It was developed by Shaba Games, published by Activision and released in the fall of 2005 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, with a Microsoft Windows port following shortly after. Up to four players can participate in battle using various characters from the first two Shrek films, along with some original characters like Luna the witch, the Black Knight, Quasimodo, and Humpty Dumpty.

Puss in Boots (<i>Shrek</i>) Fictional character in the Shrek franchise

Puss in Boots is a main character in the Shrek franchise. He made his first appearance in the film Shrek 2 (2004). He is portrayed as the title character and protagonist in the 2011 spin-off film Puss in Boots and its 2022 sequel, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Puss also appears in the Netflix television series centered on him, The Adventures of Puss in Boots (2015–2018).

<i>Shrek!</i> 1990 picture book by William Steig

Shrek! is a fantasy comedy picture book published in 1990, it is written and illustrated by American book writer and cartoonist William Steig, it is about a repugnant green ogre monster who leaves home to see the world and ends up marrying an ugly princess. The book was generally well received upon publication, with critics praising the illustrations, originality, and writing. Critics have also described Shrek as an antihero and noted the book's themes of satisfaction and self-esteem. The book served as the basis for the film Shrek by DreamWorks Animation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrek (character)</span> Fictional ogre character in the Shrek franchise

Shrek is a fictional ogre character created by American author William Steig. Shrek is the protagonist of the book of the same name, a series of films by DreamWorks Animation, as well as a musical. The name "Shrek" is a romanization of the Yiddish word שרעק, or שרעקלעך, related to the German Schreck and meaning "fear" or "fright". In the films, Shrek was voiced by Mike Myers, and in the musical, he was played principally by Brian d'Arcy James.

Fairy Godmother (<i>Shrek</i>) Shrek character

The Fairy Godmother is the main antagonist of DreamWorks Animation's Shrek franchise, voiced by actress Jennifer Saunders. Introduced as the main antagonist of Shrek 2, the Fairy Godmother is the mother of Prince Charming, who Princess Fiona was originally intended to wed prior to meeting Shrek. Believing that ogres should not live happily ever after, she plots against newlyweds Shrek and Fiona's relationship, using her magic and potions in an attempt to trick Fiona into falling in love with her son. Fairy Godmother is loosely based on the stock fairy godmother character in fairy tales, specifically "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty", serving as a parody of the common trope.

<i>Shrek</i> (franchise) DreamWorks Animation media franchise

Shrek is an American media franchise of DreamWorks Animation, loosely based on William Steig's 1990 picture book Shrek! The series primarily focuses on Shrek, a bad-tempered but good-hearted ogre, who begrudgingly accepts a quest to rescue a princess, resulting in him finding friends and going on many subsequent adventures in a fairy tale world. It includes four animated films: Shrek (2001), Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Shrek Forever After (2010), with a fifth film, Shrek 5, currently in production for a 2026 release. A short 4-D film, Shrek 4-D, which originally was a theme park ride, was released in 2003. Two television specials, the Christmas television special Shrek the Halls (2007) and the Halloween television special Scared Shrekless (2010), have also been produced. Two spin-off films were made centered around the character Puss in Boots: 2011's Puss in Boots and its sequel, 2022's The Last Wish. Additionally, a stage musical adaptation was made and premiered at Broadway for more than a year (2008–2010).

Dragon (<i>Shrek</i>) Dragon in the Shrek franchise

Dragon is a fictional character from the Shrek franchise, who is initially believed to be a fearsome villain guarding Princess Fiona. In a twist, she is revealed to be female and in search of love. While she is abandoned during Shrek's escape, she later becomes his ally and the wife of his sidekick, Donkey, helping defeat the evil Lord Farquaad by eating him whole. She has since appeared in every series film in some regard, with a parallel universe version becoming a villain in Shrek Forever After. Also appearing in spin-offs, she is commonly seen as a puppet in stage adaptations of the series such as Shrek the Musical.

<i>Shrek the Halls</i> American Christmas television special

Shrek the Halls is an American animated Christmas comedy television special that premiered on the American television network ABC on November 28, 2007. The thirty minute Christmas special was co-written and directed by Gary Trousdale and produced by DreamWorks Animation. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and Antonio Banderas reprise their roles from the feature films. This Christmas special takes place between Shrek the Third and Shrek Forever After. It grossed $16 million in home sales.
The title is derived from the title of the Christmas carol Deck the Halls.

<i>Shrek the Musical</i> 2008 musical by Jeanine Tesori & David Lindsay-Abraire

Shrek the Musical is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film Shrek, along with elements of its sequels: Shrek 2, Shrek Forever After and William Steig's 1990 book Shrek!. After a trial run in Seattle, the original Broadway production opened in December 2008 and closed after a run of over 12 months in January 2010. It was followed by a tour of the United States which opened in 2010, and a re-vamped West End production from June 2011 to February 2013.

<i>Shrek</i> 2001 DreamWorks Animation film

Shrek is a 2001 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book by William Steig. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson and written by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S. H. Schulman, it is the first installment in the Shrek film series. The film stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. In the film, an embittered ogre named Shrek (Myers) finds his home in the swamp overrun by fairy tale creatures banished by the obsessive ruler Lord Farquaad (Lithgow). With the help of Donkey (Murphy), Shrek makes a pact with Farquaad to rescue Princess Fiona (Diaz) in exchange for regaining control of his swamp.

Lord Maximus Farquaad is the main antagonist of the 2001 animated feature film Shrek, as well as Shrek 4-D and the musical. He is voiced by John Lithgow. He does not appear in William Steig's original picture book of the same name. He is famous for his magnanimous statement "Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice I am willing to make".

<i>Scared Shrekless</i> 2010 film directed by Gary Trousdale

Scared Shrekless is a 26-minute computer-animated Halloween horror comedy television special, set shortly after the events of Shrek Forever After, that premiered on the American television network NBC on October 28, 2010.

<i>Shrek Forever After</i> 2010 DreamWorks Animation film

Shrek Forever After is a 2010 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book Shrek! by William Steig. Directed by Mike Mitchell and written by Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke, it is the sequel to Shrek the Third (2007) and the fourth installment in the Shrek franchise. The film stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, and John Cleese reprising their voice roles from the previous films, with Walt Dohrn joining the cast.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Marek, Grant (March 2, 2021). "This Palo Alto park is home to the world's most famous donkey". SFGate. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  2. ↑ Grobar, Matt (November 25, 2022). "DreamWorks Animation Debuts New Animated Logo Sequence – Watch". Deadline. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Marek, Grant (June 1, 2024). "'Irresponsible': Palo Alto gifts $10,000 to donkey". SFGate. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Fowkes, Katherine A. (2010). The Fantasy Film. Malden: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 121–122. ISBN   978-1-4443-2058-9. OCLC   587394164.
  5. 1 2 Investigating Shrek: Power, Identity, and Ideology. Aurélie Lacassagne, Tim Nieguth, François Dépelteau (1st ed.). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 2011. p. 48. ISBN   978-0-230-12001-3. OCLC   759166312.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. ↑ The Ashgate Research Companion to Queer Theory. Noreen Giffney, Michael O'Rourke. London. 2016. ISBN   978-0-7546-9057-3. OCLC   646871385.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
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