U1A4- Fairytale Comparison

Beauty and the Beast, one of the famous fairytales. is a timeless story which has gone through a major changeover to suit the needs of today's younger generation. This classic fairytale which has been featured with colourful illustrations in the Blue Fairy Book series for children now takes on a new form with a deeper plot in Disney's new hit 'Beauty and the Beast' released in 2017. Both the traditional and modern stories consist of the same plot in which a young prince is cursed by an enchantress into a hideous beast, and he can only return to his former self if he finds his true love. The Disney movie has some additional and interesting story twists added to it which is very appealing to the modern audience, while it still carries the same message presented in the old classic fairytale. The original and the modern fairy tales exhibit major differences in the main characters, the significant symbols as well as the journey of the young princess.

Beauty and the Beast fairytale

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Beauty and the Beast 2017

Beauty and the Beast: Blue Fairy audiobook Beauty and the Beast 2017 trailer

The Classic Original Beauty and the Beast: In the traditional story of Beauty and the Beast, a father lives in a mansion with his 6 children (3 boys and 3 girls). Out of all his children, Beauty his youngest daughter is the most humble and beautiful one. One day, the father who is a merchant has to leave because he receives a message that one of his trade ships has safely returned to the seaport. His 5 children request him to bring them back expensive gifts whereas, Beauty the youngest daughter only asks for a rose. Soon enough the merchant learns that his colleagues have shared the wealth and have left him with nothing assuming him to be dead, and eventually his family is led into poverty. The family is thus forced to move to the countryside to live a simple and more frugal lifestyle. On his way back home, the merchant sees a beautiful castle and he follows his way into the attractive castle. Inside the castle, he sees a lot of food and so he satisfies his hunger and spends the night in the castle. Next morning, as he gets ready to set off, the father notices a bush of roses and decides to pick one for his youngest daughter, Beauty. Suddenly, he is confronted by an angry beast who asks the man to give him one of his daughters or his life will have to pay the price. In vain, the father promises to do so, and Beauty willingly agrees to stay in the palace with the beast. She holds herself guilty as the incident happens when her father was trying to bring her a rose flower. While at the castle, she spends time entertaining herself and dreams of an imaginary lover. Until one day, when she realizes that she has actually fallen in love with the beast and this true love breaks the spell cast on the beast who finally transforms back into the prince.

Overview of the Film Beauty and the Beast, 2017: This fantasy musical movie begins quite contrarily to the original story as it presents the audience with the knowledge of how the prince had transformed into a beast. Though the theme of both the old and the modern versions remains the same, there are many significant changes in the movie. The father in the movie is an inventor who has only one daughter named Belle. This beautiful young girl, who lives in a French town, goes to find her father who has been trapped by the beast for plucking a red rose for his daughter. Soon, she encounters the daunting beast and agrees to stay in the castle with him for the sake of her father's life. As Belle begins to learn more about the beast, she slowly starts to fall in love with him. Eventually, her true love takes away the spell cast on the Beast and he transforms back into the prince.

Character archetypes

Original:

Beauty, the young girl, who is the protagonist portrays the characteristics of both the hero and the initiate. Her journey as a hero begins when she lands her father in trouble for simply asking him for a rose. This happens when her father plucks a rose for her due to which the Beast is outraged by his act and in return for his rose he asks the father for one of his daughters. Beauty, the innocent and compassionate daughter of her father, rushes to help her father who is in danger and takes the upon blame. She is always willing to endure personal risks to protect her family. Even though, she is unaware of the fact that the beast will do her no harm she does not hesitate to stay with the Beast and puts her life in danger by taking her father's spot. She assumes the Beast will eventually kill her. Her character displays courage and strength as she leaves her haven, her comfort zone to enter a new challenging world.

Beauty lives with her father who is a merchant and 5 older siblings in a quite wealthy state until their fortune is lost and they land into poverty. The youngest daughter is named Beauty as she is the most beautiful one out of all the sisters. The audience is not aware of Beauty's mother as both the old and the modified stories mention nothing about her mother.

Modern:

In comparison to the original fairy tale, Belle replaces Beauty as the archetypal hero and the protagonist in the modern version of the Beauty and the Beast. Unlike the original story, Belle is trapped in a jail by the Beast. Belle also displays the role of a mentor as she teaches the beast morals and trains him to be sane. Likewise, when Belle learns that her father, Maurice, is in great danger she exhibits the role of a hero by entering an unfamiliar world and taking the place of her father in the castle. Belle does not question the Beast or Maurice and simply risks her life for the good of her family.

Unlike Beauty, Belle is a bookworm who resides in the village of Villeneuve in France. In contrast to the original tale, she does not have any siblings and lives with her father in a middle-class environment. In the movie, the author discloses that her mother tragically passed away because of the plague and that Maurice, her father had to flee to the village with Belle. Unlike the original tale, her name is Belle which means beauty in French. Belle becomes the Platonic Ideal to the beast as later in the story she becomes his source of inspiration because of her intelligence and her interest in books.

Original

The character of the Beast in the original tale is depicted as 'friendly beast' because he is shown as a kindhearted beast. Due to his physical appearance, Beauty and her father are initially terrified of him, but his actions appear to be kind by nature. Throughout the time that Beauty spends at the castle, the Beast acts as a companion and takes care of her by making sure that she is provided with what she needs. For example, the Beast arranges her room with all the comfort she may require, provides her with food and designs a place for her entertainment.

The Beast can also be seen as the Outcast as he has been isolated from social groups and activities as he lives alone deep in the woods. Although the audience is unaware of the reason behind his transformation into a beast, it seems to be atrocious as a punishment.

Modern:

In contrast to the original tale, in the modern version, the Beast is the archetypal character that plays the "evil figure with ultimately a good heart" In this modern version, he lacks kindness and is shown to be more aggressive and rude towards Belle when she first enters the castle. For example, he does not provide Belle with her own room and as a result Lumiere, the Candle, provides Belle with all the comforts which make the Beast furious. However, he eventually develops a soft corner for her when he observes her extremely kind personality. Likewise, the Beast also has a shadow hidden in him and his frustration of living in the castle all alone leads him to act wildly.

The Enchantress changes the prince into a beast to teach him a moral lesson about the importance of inner beauty. As seen in the original fairy tale, the Beast is seen as an Outcast because he is different in the sense that he is not a human and has been banished from all social groups. However, in the new version, the audience is made aware of the transformation. This occurs when an old lady appears in the prince's ball with a rose for the prince, but out of disgust and infuriation, he rejects the rose. The old lady then transforms herself into a beautiful queen and turns the prince into a hideous beast along with his servants who are turned into household objects.

Situational archetypes:

Original:

Beauty's quest begins when she holds herself responsible for placing her father in trouble. As a result, she sets off on her adventure to replace her father's position by living with the beast and to ensure his safety By the same token, the Beast allows the father to take some jewels with him so that Beauty's family can restore peace and normalcy, and return to their previous lifestyle.

In order to ensure the completion of Beauty's quest, her task is to see the inner beauty of the beast. Despite his hideous appearance, the beast is kind and affectionate towards her. Beauty realizes her love for the Beast when he is on the verge of dying and this completes her quest.

The archetype of death and rebirth is displayed through the character of the Beast. This is visible when the Beast allows Beauty to see her father and siblings for two months, and in return takes a promise from Beauty to return back after 2 months or else he will decease. Beauty dreams that the Beast is slowly dying and thus hastens back to the castle where she finds the beast laying in his cave. On seeing this she cries out her heart by telling the beast how much she loves him. The spell cast on the beast breaks and he is reborn as the Prince. The cave symbolizes a new life for the beast.

Modern:

Correspondingly in the new version, Belle has a special quest when she finds out her father is captured by the beast. She goes on a journey to find the truth and helps save her father. Just like in the original tale, she takes the place of her father and becomes the prisoner of the beast.

Belle's task is identical to the one in the original fairy tale where she has to see the real beauty within the beast to complete her quest. However, in the modern version, she falls in love with the beast much faster but is unable to reveal her feelings for him due to her imprisonment

Likewise, the archetype of death and rebirth in the modern tale is shown through the character of the beast but in a different way. When Maurice asks his people for help to save Belle, he comes across a hunter named Gaston who is in love with Belle. Gaston agrees to save Belle for his benefit, but it turns out to be a trick as Gaston ties Maurice to a tree. By using the magic mirror, Belle sees that her father is in trouble and the Beast allows her to go and save him. Meanwhile, Gaston comes to the castle to attack the beast as he finds out that Belle loves the Beast. The Beast is injured and eventually dies, however when Belle tearfully admits her love for the Beast he restores back his life.

Symbolic Archetype

The magic weapon - The rose

Old: The rose can be seen as an extremely important symbol. When the father heads out on a journey to the sea, Beauty requests him to get her a rose flower when he returns home. The red colour of the rose represents the symbol of love. This demonstrates the love between father and daughter or foreshadows the love story between Beauty and the Beast. In addition, when the father plucks the rose, it symbolizes the father plucking beauty out of his life. On the other hand, since the Beast is frustrated when Beauty's father seizes his rose, it signifies the pain associated with nature. As the Beast is shown protecting his flower, the rose exhibits the beauty that is taken away from him and leaving him with the appearance of a hideous beast.

Modern: On the contrary, in the modern version, there is an enchanted rose which is the trademark symbol of the movie. This rose is the same rose that the old lady offers the beast at the beginning of the movie. After he rejects the rose she understands that the prince has no love in his heart. As a result, she leaves him with the rose and promises him that if he is able to find true love before the last petal of the rose falls off, then the spell will be broken. The modern version uses the rose as a stopwatch as it wilts with time. Towards the end of the movie, the last petal falls on the injured Beast with Belle beside him. The petals fall off and reveal the handsome and kind prince, thus indicating that underneath all the petals there is something beautiful inside. This symbol creates a rhythm suspense for the modern audience as they are not sure if the Beast will be able to find his true love before the last rose petal falls off.

The crossroads

Old: While beauty is visiting her father and siblings, she has a dream that the beast is dead and immediately rushes back to the beast. She finds the beast laying down in his cave, this is a moment of realization for her as she accepts the love she has for him and reveals it to him. Therefore, change results and the Beast turns back into the prince.

Modern: Gaston, the antagonist attacks the beast and shoots him to death. The beast dies and Belle tearfully reveals her feelings for him as the last petal of rose falls off. At this point, she is aware of her love and accepts it which is a moment of realization. Just like the original fairy tale, Belle's true love transforms the beast back into the prince.

Themes:

1. Appearances can be deceiving: True love is not about outer beauty, it's about assessing the inner beauty and the character of someone. Beauty and the Beast is an outstanding example of this moral. In fact, appearances are deceiving is projected through the character of the beast.

Old: The character of the beast is depicted as a heart of a gold as he takes care of the merchant despite the fact that he does not know him and treats him like a guest. Even though the beast is not so appealing from the outside, his inner beauty is what makes Beauty fall in love with him. As soon as the audience hears the word "Beast", the thoughts of evil and cruelty naturally infuse in the atmosphere. The beast does not fit into society's expectations as male are supposed to be masculine rather than being emotional as he is. However, Beauty recognizes his true personality, and her love for him frees the Beast from the curse.

Modern: In the modern version, the character of the Beast is slightly altered. Even though he ends up falling in love with Belle at the end, his character matches his personality at the beginning. The frustration of living alone reshapes his personality and as a result, he acts ferociously towards anyone he encounters. At the beginning of the story, he takes out his anger on Belle and towards the ending, he eventually develops good feelings for her as she nurtures him. In fact, there is a beast hidden in everyone, but it is all about recognizing the true inner beauty and accepting yourself the way you are.

2. Don't let your fears overpower you

In both the modern and classic versions of this story, the protagonist Belle/ Beauty pushes aside her fears and steps out of her comfort zones. This is visible when she agrees to stay with the beast in order to save her father. It takes Belle/Beauty time to look past the Beast's frightening appearance, however when she does, she finds herself a new companion. Belle/Beauty overcomes her fears which open her a new opportunity to marry the prince and become a princess. In the end, her sacrifice and goodwill pay off.

3. Sacrifice is true love

In both stories, sacrifice is evidently seen through the characters of Belle/Beauty and the Beast. Belle/ Beauty begins her journey by sacrificing her freedom and risking her life for her father as she understands the nature of love. This teaches children a good lesson of respect and love for their parents. Eventually, the Beast also learns to make sacrifices after he realizes his love for Belle/Beauty. When she tries to flee into the woods he saves her from a pack of wolves and gets injured himself. Another crucial sacrifice he makes is when he allows her to go see her father even though he is aware that he is slowly dying as the rose petals continue to fall. This proves that his love for her is immortal and he finally learns the meaning of true love just as the enchantress expects him to. He certainly lets go of his selfishness and arrogance by learning humility.

4. Kindness wins over cruelty

The charming prince in the movie Beauty and the Beast 2017, despises the old lady who gives him a flower which proves that he has no place for love in his heart. As a result, he is transformed into a beast by the enchantress to best match his inner personality. The only way to rebound the spell is for him to find someone who truly loves him by accepting his beastly appearance. Nevertheless, he comes across Belle, a kind-hearted lady, who is in fact, horrified to be living with a beast. To make matters worse, the Beast is selfish and petulant towards everyone. He does not offer Belle/Beauty food or a place to live in the castle and instead becomes frustrated when things don’t work the way he wants them to. On the other hand, Belle/Beauty is irritated by his atrocious nature. Before the spell, the prince lives a privileged life, but since he is not the prince anymore it introduces a sense of shame in him because of his previous actions. As a result, the Beast tries to capture Belle/Beauty's love with fear instead of kindness as he unintentionally scares Belle away and takes his frustration out on her. On the contrary, when he sees the compassion and love Belle/Beauty has to offer everyone, he speaks from his heart and begins to show the love and kindness hidden inside him. As a result, his kindness wins over his cruelty which makes Beauty fall in love with him. The same can also be seen with Gaston, who is selfish and wants to achieve Belle at any cost as he tries to hurt her father when doing so. However, he eventually ends up losing, as his arrogance and cruel persona fail to truly love Belle with his whole heart.

The different themes fit perfectly with the moral of the story as the audience learns that true beauty comes from within and to look beyond what you can see. Belle and Beauty both take the time to fully understand and know the beast without constantly judging him as well as to be kind towards him by overlooking at his physical appearance. Furthermore, sacrifice comes into a huge play, as Beauty/Belle sacrifices her life for her family, and the Beast sacrifices his life for Beauty/Belle so that she can visit her father and siblings. In addition to that, the modern version inspires the audience to spread their knowledge and educate others when given a chance to. Belle/Beauty also teaches the Beast moral values such as kindness and honesty. This changes the beast internally as he repents over the cruelty and pride that builds up inside him. Beauty/Belle also overcomes her fears to face reality and new experiences and in the midst of that, she finds her true love and becomes the princess.

The timeless classic fairytale, Beauty and the Beast, has been recreated from time to time. It is one of the oldest and most popular fairytale that has staged a new comeback. The modern version of Beauty and the Beast released in 2017 aims to fascinate the new generation of our society. Although the plots of both the new and old versions are almost identical, the director has made some valuable changes to attract more audiences. This movie reveals the reason as to why the prince becomes a beast and also includes a new meaning to the rose due to which he transforms. In addition to that, the technological changes make the movie more fascinating. For example, it displays the enchantress converting the servants into household objects who help Belle survive in the castle. The movie goes into the depth of the story's past and the heroine is cast as a normal intellectual girl who is from a middle-class village. This musical fairytale incorporates values and morals present in today's society that both children and adults can relate to just like the original tale. These morals and lessons are timeless and will continue to be passed over generations.