Baker

The Baker is one of the main characters in 'Into The Woods'. He lives in a cottage outside of the woods with his wife (The Baker's Wife). Both him and his wife desperately want a child. He (and his house) has been cursed by The Witch due to his father stealing from her garden. This spell was for "[his] family tree to be a barren one". He and his wife have to go into the woods to collect four items (1; the cow as white as milk, 2; the cape as red as blood, 3; the hair as yellow as corn, 4; the slipper as pure as gold) for The Witch to undo the spell.

His father left him after the death of his mother and when his sister was taken by The Witch as a deal for stealing from her garden. During The Baker's time in the woods he discovers that The Mysterious Man (who has been following him and the woods and trying to engage in conversation with him) is his father who had not died as he so thought in a baking accident.

Act I
In the Prologue, the Baker and his wife are wishing to have a child. Their wish is heard by the Witch who tells them how to make a potion that will grant them a child. The Baker and his wife need to collect a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold in order to have a child. The Baker's Wife insists that she go along to help the Baker complete his quest, but the hardheaded Baker orders her to stay home.

When the Baker becomes frustrated with his lack of luck, the Baker's Wife surprises him in the woods by bringing him his scarf, but secretly hoping to help him on the quest for a child. In the middle of their quarrel, Jack finds them and agrees to sell his cow to them for a sack of beans (which, unbeknownst to the characters, were magic), giving them the first item needed. After Jack leaves, the couple argues more about the wrongful decision to sell the cow for a sack of beans.

The Baker then stumbles across Little Red Riding Hood in the woods and compliments her cape in hopes for her to give it to him. He tries to take it from her and run away with it but he feels too guilty when she screams for it back. He places it back onto the young girl's shoulders. She angrily stomps on his foot and storms off.

The Baker comes across Little Red's Grandmother's house with its door wide open and a thunderous snore escaping from inside. He investigates to find the Little Red and her Granny eaten by a sleeping wolf. He slices the wolf open, killing it, and saving the girl and her Granny. Out of gratitude, Little Red gifts him her cape.

Jack finds the Baker in the woods and eagerly gives him five gold pieces for his cow back. When the Baker tells him that he isnt sure that he wants to sell, Jack thinks he just wants more money. Jack leaves to get more money and leaves the Baker with the five gold pieces. This excites the Baker and he excitedly thinks of what he could purchase with this money. The Mysterious Man overhears this and steals the gold pieces away from him.

He then