She may be controlling, manipulative and over-protective, but Mother Gothel is the only mother Rapunzel has ever known. By stealing Rapunzel as an infant and raising her in the tower, Gothel ensured that she alone would have access to Rapunzel's magical hair, which she uses as her personal fountain of youth. Gothel loves Rapunzel more as a possession than as a daughter, and uses every weapon in her arsenal – including a constant flow of subtle jabs, backhanded compliments and over-the-top guilt trips – to keep Rapunzel hidden away. When Rapunzel finally defies her wishes and ventures out into the world, the delightfully deranged Gothel will to stop at nothing to get her little girl back into the tower.
