<P> Makin' Toons: Inside the Most Popular Animated TV Shows and Movies author Allan Neuwirth observed that Ursula obeys Disney's "long - standing tradition of depicting classic scoundrels...none so unsettling as their female villains ." Neuwirth believes that the public's fear of Disney's female villains "stems from our expectations of nurturing, comfort and honesty from our mothers", while Disney's villainnesses, including Ursula, tend to "lust after...youth and beauty ." Ursula even goes as far as transforming herself into a beautiful young woman in order to trick Ariel's love interest into marrying her instead . Janet Wasko believes that Ursula's role as a powerful but antagonistic woman in The Little Mermaid alludes to the idea of patriarchy being preferable to matriarchy . Sophie Hall of Beamly identified Ursula as a woman struggling to "run the kingdom in a man's world, having been kicked out for no specific reason ." In her book Emerson Goes to the Movies: Individualism in Walt Disney Company's Post-1989 Animated Films, author Justyna Fruzińska claimed that "the masculine rule of Triton is presented as positive and opposed to the negative, feminine rule of Ursula". Understanding Disney: The Manufacture of Fantasy author Janet Wasko accused the film's treatment of Ursula of "eliminat (ing) many of the female characters and undermin (ing) (the) feminine power" present in Andersen's fairy tale . However, Wasko also argued that Ursula could possibly be considered a mother figure for Ariel; the tunnel of Ursula's cave resembles a vagina, while Ursula's mannerisms evoke those of a mother as she refers to Ariel as "my dear sweet child". Gwynne Watkins of Yahoo! accused Ursula of "assur (ing) Ariel that human men prefer their women to be silent". Meanwhile, in response to feminist critiques of the character, author Amy M. Davis observed in her book Handsome Heroes and Vile Villains: Masculinity in Disney's Feature Films that Ursula is actually responsible for giving Eric the "power to make Ariel permanently human". However, author Alan Dundes observed in his book Bloody Mary in the Mirror: Essays in Psychoanalytic Folkloristics that Ursula becomes masculine and deep - voiced once she acquires Triton's trident, implying that even "the only powerful woman in the story fulfills her desire for supreme power by becoming masculine". Dundes also observed that Ursula reverts to being feminine once she is impaled . </P> <P> In her book Tales, Then and Now: More Folktales as Literary Fictions for Young Adults, author Anna E. Altmann compared Ursula to Satan because both Ariel and Triton "sign a contract...with her"; James Plath of Movie Metropolis described Ursula's contract as "a Mephistophelean bargain ." Much like Satan, Ursula was banished from Triton's palace, similar to the way in which Lucifer was exiled from heaven . Felix Vasquez of Cinema Crazed believes that Ursula "is evil just for the sake of being evil". Writing for the Disney Archives, Dave Smith observed that Ursula "has the gross unsubtlety of Ratigan from' The Great Mouse Detective' but substantially more brio ." Describing Ursula as "Bejeweled and lip - pouting like an overweight, over-rich, over-pampered, over-the - top society hostess gone mad," Smith perceived the character as "all flair, flamboyance, and theatricality mixed with a touch of con - artistry", citing wrath as her only genuine emotion . Additionally, Ursula tends to act as though she is performing for an audience . Jay Boyar of the Orlando Sentinel compared the character's appearance to that of evangelist Tammy Faye . At times, Ursula tends to demonstrate stereotypically masculine physical traits . Describing the character as "A campy sea witch with an insatiable thirst for power", Rolling Stone's David Ehrlich believes that Ursula resembles a child of Divine and Donald Trump . Some critics identify the character with body positivity . According to Michaela Glover of The Odyssey, "Ursula portrays a bold business woman, not being afraid to show off her curves and use them, which defies the typical standards of beauty by also being a full figured woman ." </P> <P> Ursula debuted in The Little Mermaid (1989) as a sea witch who is scheming to take advantage of the ambitions of King Triton's youngest daughter Princess Ariel in order to usurp the throne and turning merpeople into polyps for her garden . When Ariel saves and falls in love with a human named Prince Eric much to her father's chagrin, Ursula temporarily grants Ariel's wish to live as a human for three days in return for her voice . If she successfully earns a kiss from Eric by the end of the third day, Ariel will remain human permanently; if she fails, she will turn back into a mermaid and belong to Ursula forever . However, Ursula is determined to sabotage Ariel's and Eric's budding romance at any cost; when she realizes that Ariel and Eric are falling in love, Ursula transforms herself into a beautiful young woman named "Vanessa" and hypnotizes Eric, tricking him into agreeing to marry her instead . Ariel manages to thwart Ursula and Eric's wedding . Eric realizes that it was Ariel who saved him when her voice returns to her and is about to kiss her, but as the sun sets Ariel transforms back into a mermaid and is captured by Ursula . Triton confronts Ursula and agrees to give up himself and his magical trident in return for Ariel's freedom . Ursula then uses the trident to expand into monstrous proportions and attempts to kill Ariel and Eric, but Eric manages to impale Ursula with the splintered bowsprit of a wrecked ship, and she dies . With Ursula defeated, her power's cease, the merpeople turn back to normal, Triton's power is restored, and Ariel marries Eric once she is permanently transformed into a human . </P> <P> Ursula appears as the antagonist in four episodes of The Little Mermaid prequel television series: "Against the Tide", "Tail of Two Crabs", "Heroes" and "Ariel's Treasures". In all four episodes, she executes various plans to antagonize King Triton and take over Atlantica, but all fail . In the first two episodes, interaction between Ariel and Ursula is kept at a minimum, but in the later ones, Ariel and Ursula face each other more directly . </P>

How did ursula die in the little mermaid
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