The Beauty and the Beast Inside Us All

978 Words2 Pages

Arguably, the alluring tale of “Beauty and the Beast” is perhaps one of the most romantic fairytales ever told. How has this wonderful, concocted amusement—filled with intrigue and come-hitherness—managed to sustain its audience for so long? Foremost, the title of the fairytale is stirring and enticing, painting a picturesque simile in the minds of those that are curious and alert, not unlike the designated heroine in the tale, Beauty. Too, the title suggests that the capacity to be beautiful is no more powerful than the stealthful, nefarious beast that lurks inside us all, making the theme of the tale as relevant today as it was in the 17th century. Further, when one digs deeper inside the nest of the tale, discovering the foreshadowed lining of “Beauty and the Beast,” the initial conundrum slowly becomes more gratuitous and substantial. Inquisitive onlookers will soon realize there is much more to “Beauty and the Beast” than the obvious facts and accessories in the tale. In the following response, my aim is to deconstruct—by comparing and contrasting—both the 1756 traditional French tale of “Beauty and the Beast,” written by Madame Leprince de Beaumont, and Disney’s more synthetic yet shrewdly animated version of the tale. However, more specifically, I intend to devote most of my reaction to “Beauty and the Beast” to the two title characters, with emphasis on the subtle yet noticeable changes in the character Beauty, as opposed to the more dynamic changes in the character of the Beast.

In Beaumont’s tale of “Beauty and the Beast,” the character of Beauty has all the traits a young lady should have. On the surface, Beauty is younger, prettier, and much nicer than her two older sisters are. Inwardly—where her sisters are unapp...

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...sney’s Beast is more constant with his behavior, remaining quick-tempered, hardheaded, and resentful throughout most of the movie, until Beauty makes him truly see how bitter and angry he has become. Furthermore, Disney’s Beast struggles with his own identity, fighting against both his gruesome outward appearance and the innermost man that he so desperately wants to be. At first, it becomes apparent to the viewer that Disney’s Beast has a difficult time controlling his rage, using his external prowess as the Beast to make Beauty feel threatened and unsafe, by both verbally abusing her with his aggressive shouts and intimidating her with his shocking presence. Because the once handsome prince was changed into a hideous monster for being unkind, he now allows his unpleasant persona as the Beast to control the man that lay underneath his gruff exterior.

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