Mother Gothel of the film's villain based solely on the expectation that the unfamiliar experience would be "fun". Almost immediately, Murphy developed a strong liking towards Gothel because of the character's complexity. Known for her award-winning Broadway performances, Murphy prepared herself for her "Tangled "audition similar to the way in which the actress would have prepared for a Broadway audition. Refusing to rely solely on her voice, Murphy also provided Gothel with an additional background that "flush[ed] out the moments beyond what we see in the film." Although Greno and Howard had already held Murphy in high regard as "a spectacular singer",
Mother Gothel Scott's opinion, "The Disney pantheon is full of evil stepmothers, though none quite match Mother Gothel for sheer sadistic intensity." According to Jake Coyle of the "Southtown Star", Gothel is "one of Disney's best" villains, while Gary Thompson of the "Philadelphia Daily News "dubbed the character "one reason to love Disney". Michael Smith of the "Tulsa World "reviewed Gothel as "perfectly wicked as she kills Rapunzel's dreams". Kirk Baird of "The Blade "identified Gothel as the film's "strongest character". Colin Covert of the "Star Tribune "commented," ""In her own way, Gothel is scarier than Snow White's wicked stepmother" because the