I think she is accurately looking at her past but not accurately looking at her future. I think she is right to feel the blame and guilt she does but I think she takes it too far when she allows herself to be convinced that now she'll just only suffer for the rest of her life. I think the main thing that Regina needs to remember is that in her heart of hearts, she had always rejected evil and darkness. It was Rumple and Cora who worked together, the latter tirelessly for most of Regina's life, to corrupt Regina as Regina was always closer to Snow than Cora to begin with. Regina was happy to find love with a stable boy and willing to give up everything for it. It took a lot of rare and traumatic events that drove Regina to finally succumb to the darkness, I think that is what makes it even harder on Regina is because it hurts her that much more to have become someone she isn't and now she doesn't know how to live with balancing the 2 lives she's had.

That's a good point (about being correct about her past and not her future). I guess that's kind of how I feel. I think we did that thing where we have the same thoughts but picked different answers lol. I mean as you said; she takes it too far when she thinks that the future is only going to bring her pain. Moreover that her past is going to impact and dictate the rest of her life. I feel like she has a very hard time moving forward. Not just with this but in general. Regina seems to cling to and get stuck on things; like how she was stuck on Dan and stuck on revenge. The poor woman just seems to have trouble letting go.

That said, I do think she is being very hard on herself for that reason. Yeah she's analyzing the past accurately but she seems to beat herself up over it. And she beats herself up pretty bad. Like she has such a hard time forgiving herself; even when Snow and the main people she's harmed have told her that it's okay and they forgive her. I also feel as though she sometimes thinks that she is a bad person.

As you said she needs to focus on how hard she tried to fight the darkness. And that there was only so much she could take, so much manipulation she could endure before she finally snapped and gave in. She was put under so much pressure by her mother and Gold (with the help of Jeff and Whale) worked so hard to mold her into the darkness to meet their own ends. They used her sorrow to soil her innocence.
She also needs to learn to accept what happened and look at a possible brighter outcome for her future. It would be really good for her. Problem is she's just been through so much her optimism has been shot straight to hell.

But yeah, I also totally agree that a lot of the hurt probably comes from the fact that she knows that had things been different she could have been a completely different person and as you said she doesn't seem to know how to cope with that balancing. I think it would help her to see the strength in coming back from such a dark place. One would have to be a genuinely good person to be able to pull him/herself out of that shadowy place.
I think she's always been a good woman at heart. Even at her evilest, she was just someone overwhelmed by heartbreak, loss, and sorrow.

That's why comments are great! XD <3 "I mean as you said; she takes it too far when she thinks that the future is only going to bring her pain. Moreover that her past is going to impact and dictate the rest of her life. I feel like she has a very hard time moving forward.... The poor woman just seems to have trouble letting go." I agree. I think she got it from her mother who actually abandoned her baby by the side of the road because she had so much trouble letting go of a dream of a more prosperous future.

I really feel for Regina so much because I feel like she has to live with being everything she doesn't want to be and how hard that must be. It's like a gay man who comes out of the closet after a history of beating and sending gay men to the hospital who did nothing wrong but be gay. If that makes sense? It's like living with your worst enemy inside of yourself and that's why I think you made a good point about Regina facing herself and realizing that it's better for her to tame it from within then try to separate from it so much that it gains it's own sense of power, if that makes any sense??

That being said, I also agree with you that Regina needs to take more note of the fact that Snow and many other of the main people she's harmed have forgiven her which should help her forgive herself. Sometimes we are our own worst critics though and I feel like Regina is very much that type. She might push others hard put she'll always push herself harder. Additionally, I think she feels unworthy of being such a "hero" sometimes, as she feels like she spent too much time on the other side. Kind of similar to what Hook was going through a bit for a while there.

"As you said she needs to focus on how hard she tried to fight the darkness." My favorite interactions with her are when people tell her, "yes you were the Evil Queen and you were so powerful because of who you were, not just what you did." I like when they remind her that talents can be used for good or evil and that she is so talented that she is going to pack a punch for whatever side she's on and the most important thing is which side she chooses. If she lets the darkness eat her up, she'll be a real pain for the heroes but if she fights the darkness, she could be one the most vital components in the "good vs evil battle". Has that happened yet by the way?? haha

"They used her sorrow to soil her innocence." Exactly my point when I say she is more like Snow than she ever was like Cora deep inside. In many ways I see it as, she was Snow if Snow had been corrupted.

"Problem is she's just been through so much her optimism has been shot straight to hell." Exactly! That's why Snow, Emma, Zelena & Henry's comforts are going to mean the world right now. She never had them before to help with the optimism part. Or at least not until recently anyway. One thing I love about this show is the team work and how diversity works. Hero & villain isn't about who you are or your flaws but about the choices you make in life. There's always a position for you to flourish in, it's just a matter of which team you choose to back. I love to see how the diversity in characters between Snow, Emma, Regina, Hook, etc. end up balancing each other out in hard times because they can depend on each other's strengths when they are feeling weak in themselves or are weak in certain areas. Perfect example is Regina and Snow when Snow killed Cora and it was Regina who was able to help Snow through it, as she was the only one who could truly understand her. Now, Regina can rely on Snow's optimism as she is the epitome of it. <3 It all goes along with the "second chances" thing and how everyone has something to offer, good or bad.

"I also totally agree that a lot of the hurt probably comes from the fact that she knows that had things been different she could have been a completely different person and as you said she doesn't seem to know how to cope with that balancing." It's like the effect on Snow and how she took it much harder than a normal person would have (when she killed Cora) because she had been living her whole life in such an opposite manner, never killing anyone no matter how tempting it was or how horrible they were.

I think Regina seeing herself as the Evil Queen will hopefully help her recognize exactly how different she really is now and why it's okay to try and build a positive future. I agree that she's always been good but I think she needs strength more than anything right now and isolation the least.

Sorry this one took me a while to respond to. Yeah I would agree there, I think that she got a lot of things from her mother. I mean she also treated Henry the same way as her mother treated her; trapping him because she loved him. And that which wasn't inherited was learned. Like love is weakness.

I really feel for Regina so much because I feel like she has to live with being everything she doesn't want to be and how hard that must be. Exactly. She became the things she tried her very hardest to fight and overcome. So I completely agree that its important for her to conquer (physically) the woman she became. I thin that will help her realize how strong she is and how much she didn't want to become the woman she did. Moreover it'll show her how much she changed.

Snow and many other of the main people she's harmed have forgiven her which should help her forgive herself. Indeed, as you said people seem to be naturally inclined to be very hard on themselves. I feel like Regina realizing just how many people forgive her and see good in her will help lift her spirits and help her forgive herself. Because yeah I agree she seems like one of those people to judge herself very harshly. Like you mentioned she pushes others really hard but double that with herself. Honestly I think that fact that she pushes herself so hard is what makes it easier to push others hard. Additionally, I think she feels unworthy of being such a "hero" sometimes, as she feels like she spent too much time on the other side. I also agree with this. I mean throughout season 3 she was saying things like "I did (x deed) to make sure the savior/the Charmings won't have too." And I think that goes hand in hand with the forgiveness. Since she can't seem to forgive herself she also can't find it in her to think that she's a real hero.

My favorite interactions with her are when people tell her, "yes you were the Evil Queen and you were so powerful because of who you were, not just what you did." I like when they remind her that talents can be used for good or evil I also love those, they are often the most complex and meaningful. And on top of that, what makes those scenes wonderful is that they aren't trying to change her personality completely. They're still letting her be Regina. They're simply pointing out that she can use her talents and do what she does best, but directing it to a more noble cause. If she lets the darkness eat her up, she'll be a real pain for the heroes but if she fights the darkness, she could be one the most vital components in the "good vs evil battle". Exactly. And I do believe that it has; she has been such a huge factor in their victories.

Exactly my point when I say she is more like Snow than she ever was like Cora deep inside. In many ways I see it as, she was Snow if Snow had been corrupted. I can completely see this.

That's why Snow, Emma, Zelena & Henry's comforts are going to mean the world right now. She never had them before to help with the optimism part. Indeed. Honestly she never had help in general in her younger years. That's why I love these characters so much; though they all have their faults they help each other out so much and always see the best in everyone/try to give everyone a chance. One thing I love about this show is the team work and how diversity works. Hero & villain isn't about who you are or your flaws but about the choices you make in life. This is something else I love as well. It's sort of like the whole box situation; it's very interesting to see how each of these characters copes with the same/similar things in different ways. They just play so well off of each other. And they show how there's usually always a choice and even if you make the wrong one you can come back from it. they can depend on each other's strengths when they are feeling weak in themselves or are weak in certain areas. This is another great thing about the diversity of the characters. As shown withing your example, each character has come from a different walk of life and has made his or her mistakes. And because of that they are better able to help each other. One of my favorite things Lana has said in an interview is, "Regina shows that good can come from broken things."

It's like the effect on Snow and how she took it much harder than a normal person would have (when she killed Cora) because she had been living her whole life in such an opposite manner, never killing anyone no matter how tempting it was or how horrible they were. That's a perfect example. One that again shows how similar the two are and how much they are able to help each other out.

I think Regina seeing herself as the Evil Queen will hopefully help her recognize exactly how different she really is now and why it's okay to try and build a positive future. That's what I hope comes out of the arc. I feel like this is the arc that has the potential to finally mend what is broken in Regina, ease the hurt. And heaven knows she needs the pain of the past soothed. I agree that she's always been good but I think she needs strength more than anything right now and isolation the least. She was just one of those villains who was a hero in her own mind. And now she is a hero. And I agree there as well, she needs a lot of strength and support.