From Maru, Dagmar, once Dreamland’s queen and King Zøg’s wife, is now Queen Bean’s mother and Disenchantment’s main antagonist.
Queen Dagmar isn’t your typical mother figure, which makes her fascinating. Her ice-cold demeanor veils a labyrinth of intrigue and calculated deception.
From the outset, Dagmar is introduced as a marble statue – a literal embodiment of her cold and unfeeling persona.
Queen Dagmar
Beneath her steely exterior is a woman whose past is riddled with adversity and a hunger for power, creating an intricate paradox that is utterly captivating.
She’s not the mollycoddling type. She’s fierce, headstrong, and possesses an uncanny knack for manipulation.
Her character delves deep into the underbelly of what power can do, bringing a refreshing perspective to Dreamland’s otherwise jovial, lighthearted feel. Yet, amidst the calculated machinations, Dagmar also reveals glimpses of vulnerability, making her a multifaceted enigma.
Profession
- Princess of Maru
- Queen of Dreamland
- Queen of Hell
The Dagmar-Leavo Relationship
Love can be a many-splendored thing, but not when it comes to Dagmar and her husband, King Zog. Their relationship is a tangled web of lies, deceit, and love – a disastrous recipe. Dagmar’s twisted love for Zog and their daughter, Princess Bean, formulates much of the show’s dark humor and compelling storyline.
In a world filled with enchanting creatures and bumbling royalty, the love story between Zog and Dagmar is a beacon of reality, a tangible tale of betrayal and heartbreak.
It mirrors real-world relationships’ complexities, starkly contrasting the otherwise fantasy-driven narrative of Disenchantment. And in this twisted love story, Queen Dagmar shines, or perhaps, lurks ominously, like a haunting specter.
Dagmar’s Devious Plot: A Mother’s Love or Power Play?
One of the most contentious aspects of Dagmar’s character is her relationship with her daughter, Princess Bean. At the core of their relationship lies an ulterior motive, a diabolical scheme masterminded by Dagmar that sets the tone for the series.
It’s easy to label Dagmar as a villain because of her actions, but the depth of her character suggests otherwise. Yes, her intentions are twisted, but they stem from a place of perceived love and protection for Bean.
Although unconventional and cruel, her methods are part of her desperate attempts to protect her lineage and empower Bean in the process. It’s a unique take on motherly love, injecting an undercurrent of moral ambiguity into the show’s fabric.
Dagmar’s allure lies in her gray areas. She is neither wholly evil nor wholly good. Instead, she straddles the line between both, making her one of the most exciting characters in the series.
Early Childhood
The character known as the Disenchantress discloses that Dagmar, having been born as the firstborn daughter of Maru’s regal lineage, had two younger siblings who were brothers, Cloyd and Jerry, and a younger sister named Becky. She committed the act of patricide and matricide when she was just nineteen, the reasons for which remain a mystery. She then falsified the circumstances surrounding their demise to Bean, insisting they had perished in a murder-suicide pact involving both parents.
An enigmatic prophecy in Maru mentioned an unborn child descended from two royal houses, one from Maru and the other from Dreamland. This child was foretold to be a sacrificial offering in a ritual meant to repay Maru’s infernal debts accumulated from past transactions with the Underworld. An integral part of this prophecy involved a crown being fastened onto the child who was foretold to be sacrificed.
Dagmar, along with Cloyd and Becky, once tried to fit this crown onto Jerry’s head, but the unsuccessful attempt resulted in irreversible cognitive impairment for Jerry. This event prompted Dagmar to embark on a journey to Dreamland. Once there, she joined the royal lineage through marriage and gave birth to Princess Bean, all actions that were driven by her desire to fulfill the prophecy.
Life with Zøg
Dagmar, presented as a nobleman’s daughter by her ex-husband Zøg, was possibly concealing her royal background, hinted at by her servants who called her queen.
Zøg fell for Dagmar at a jousting tournament and they soon wed, having a daughter, Bean, named after Dagmar’s grandmother. Dagmar was an attentive mother, promising Bean a powerful future.
Four years on, a twist of fate saw Dagmar turned to stone by her poison intended for Zøg, while Bean and Zøg were distracted. To protect Bean, Zøg lied that Dagmar died naturally and hid her petrified body in the Church as a memorial. Unaware of Dagmar’s betrayal, Zøg pursued an elixir to restore life, hoping to revive her.
Dagmar and Queen Bean
Despite meeting Dagmar only at nineteen, Bean admired her mother, who embodied everything she aspired to be. Although Dagmar bore Bean to fulfill a prophecy for personal gain, she portrayed a complex relationship with her.
She was abusive yet had a portrait of Bean as Maru’s queen and nurtured her personally as an infant, often promising her greatness. This might suggest Dagmar’s belief in Bean’s capability to break the curse.
Queen Dagmar: The Psychology of a Complex Character
Understanding Queen Dagmar’s motivations can be as challenging as traversing Dreamland’s murky politics. However, by dissecting her actions and her dialogue, we can gather a semblance of what drives this complex woman.
Dagmar is a textbook example of a woman scorned. Her yearning for power and her desperation to protect her bloodline fuel her destructive tendencies. Yet, she’s not a mindless villain. She’s cunning, intelligent, and deeply scarred – a potent mix that makes her a formidable antagonist.
Her constant struggle between her innate maternal instincts and her thirst for power creates a captivating internal conflict. We see glimpses of regret and self-doubt behind her frosty facade, hinting at the otherwise hardened queen’s softer, more human side. This blend of contradictory traits breathes life into her character, making her one of the most exciting personalities on Disenchantment.
Dagmar’s Impact on Dreamland
Dreamland may be a kingdom rife with fairytale oddities, but even within its peculiar inhabitants, Queen Dagmar stands out. Her strategic manipulations and ruthless plans set in motion a series of events that drastically alter Dreamland’s landscape.
Whether it’s manipulating King Zog, her estranged husband, or concocting elaborate schemes with her people from Maru, she is the puppeteer pulling Dreamland’s strings.
Through the chaos she orchestrates, Dagmar disrupts the status quo, transforming Dreamland from a jovial fairy-tale kingdom to a playground of political intrigue and power games.
And in this game, she’s a player par excellence. This upheaval of the established norms makes Dreamland, and Disenchantment in general, a more riveting tale, demonstrating how one character can dramatically shift the narrative direction.
Dagmar and King Zøg
Zog, Dagmar’s former husband, is the father of their sole child, Bean. While Zog harbored deep love for Dagmar, she saw him merely as a means to birth Bean. She attempted to petrify him, intending to take Bean to Maru and realize the prophecy.
However, fate intervened when a toddler Bean unwittingly swapped the glasses, making Dagmar petrified for a decade and a half. Once Zog uncovered Dagmar’s real intentions, his love morphed into loathing. He destroyed her portraits and did his best to move on.
Appearances
Season 1 – Part 1
1 A Princess, an Elf, and a Demon Walk Into a Bar (Statue, No Lines)
3 The Princess of Darkness (Statue, No Lines)
9. To Thine Own Elf Be True
10. Dreamland Falls
Season 2 – Part 1
1. The Disenchantress
4. The Lonely Heart Is a Hunter
8. In Her Own Write
10. Tiabeanie Falls
Season 3 – Part 1
1. Subterranean Homesick Blues
2. You’re the Bean
10. Bean Falls Down
Season 3 – Part 2
1. Love is Hell
10. Bean Falls Apart
Elfo Massages Queen Dagmar
Quotes
Bean: That’s never happened before – the thing with my fingers.
Dagmar: As you reach maturity you will notice many more changes.
Bean: Duh, I already know…
Dagmar: This isn’t a sex talk.
Bean: Oh. What kind of talk is it?
Dagmar: There are some things you need to know about yourself, Bean
Why did Queen Dagmar turn into stone?
Queen Dagmar becomes petrified in an attempt to turn her husband, King Zøg, to stone. This happens due to a mix-up of glasses by their toddler daughter, Bean, causing Dagmar to drink the poisoned concoction instead.
What is the prophecy involving Queen Dagmar and Princess Bean?
The prophecy involves an unborn child from two royal families who are destined to be sacrificed in a ritual to settle debts to Hell that Maru owed due to prior dealings with the Underworld. Dagmar marries King Zøg and gives birth to Princess Bean to fulfill this prophecy.
Does King Zøg love Queen Dagmar?
King Zøg was deeply in love with Queen Dagmar, but his feelings turned to hatred when he discovered Dagmar’s true intentions, which included manipulations and an attempt to turn him into stone.
Does Queen Dagmar love her daughter, Bean?
Dagmar’s feelings towards Bean are complicated. While she has shown signs of maternal affection, she primarily sees Bean as a means to fulfill a prophecy, which adds an element of manipulation to their relationship.
Cultural References
- Dagmar of Bohemia (1188-1212): Queen Dagmar was a 13th century Danish queen.
- Dagmar (1921-2001) (possible): Virginia Ruth Egnor was an American actress, model, and television personality. In the 1950s, the statuesque, busty blonde became one of the first major female stars of television.