Beauty and the Beast (fairy-tale)

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Name: Beauty and the Beast / La Belle et la Bête
Abbreviation(s):
Creator: Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve
Date(s): 1740
Medium: print
Country of Origin: France
External Links: Wikipedia
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Beauty and the Beast is a French fairy-tale published in 1740. It is one of the most popular of Western stories, and has been adapted in a number of different media. The best-known version is an abridged version of the story was written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in 1756, and in 1889 the English version was written by Andrew Lang.

Canon

In the original story, a merchant who has lost his fortune receives news that one ship might have survived disaster. He asks his his children what they would like him to bring them, and his youngest daughter, known as Beauty, asks for nothing but a single rose. The merchant discovers the ship has already been sold and there are no riches; and on his way home, he gets lost in a snowstorm. He finds a mysterious castle and takes shelter for the night, and in the morning finds a rosebush, where he decides to pick a rose for Beauty. A fearsome Beast confronts him and is going to kill him for stealing, but changes his mind when the merchant tells him about his daughter. The Beast agrees that the merchant can leave, but Beauty must take his place and remain in the castle.

The Beast treats Beauty well, giving her fine clothes and rich food. Every night, he asks her to marry him and while she remains at the castle for her father's sake, she refuses him. Eventually she gets homesick and asks to be allowed to visit. The Beast agrees, but tells her she must return by a certain day. Beauty returns home, but dreams that the Beast is dying alone and rushes back to the castle. She realises she loves him and agrees to marry him. He then turns into a handsome prince, having been cursed by and evil fairy to be a beast until he earned someone's love.

Adaptations

Beauty and the Beast has been adapted for screen, stage, prose, and television over many years and there are versions of the story told all over the world. Written adaptations have been written by Tanith Lee, Alan Moore, Mercedes Lackey, Robin McKinley and Ursula Vernon, among many others.

Better-known versions in other media include:

  • La Belle et la Bête (1994), an opera by Philip Glass
  • Beastly (2011)
  • The Princess and the Werewolf - Chinese television series (2023)

Fandom

While fandom is mostly centered on the 1987 television series and the Disney movies, the original fairy-tale has its own fandom and fanworks.

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External Links

References

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