A Tale as Old as Time

Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

A story that has always stuck close to me is Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The quiet, book-loving, and beautiful heroine, the dark and tortured prince, and the magical castle; while the gender stereotypes may be questionable now, this is a tale as old as time for several reasons.

It’s Relatable

Who doesn’t want to live happily ever after? This is one of the defining features of Disney’s version of various fairy tales, making them the perfect escapist fantasies. Beauty and the Beast is no different. Sure, most people are not turned into a beast, or forced to live with one, but everyone wants to achieve some form of happiness in their lifetime.

Belle’s love changes the Beast and ultimately breaks the spell. The search for true love is seen in all mediums of entertainment because it is a universal theme. Perhaps even more relatable is the idea one is worthy of love, regardless of their outward appearance, an idea that this story drills home.

Another relatable theme in this story is the idea of second chances. How many people have never made a mistake, never wished they could get a do-over? Not many. The Beast learns from his mistakes (at least, that is what we can hope) and gets a second chance at being human. There is implied forgiveness and growth, two things that many of us strive for.

Bittersweet and strange
Finding you can change
Learning you were wrong

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

It’s Inspirational

What’s the moral of this story?

a) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

b) Always be kind to others

c) Everyone is worthy of love

The answer is d) All of the above and more. There are several morals in this story and lots of lessons to take away and apply in the real world. At least, that’s what we tell ourselves we’ll do after we watch the movie. Whether we apply the lessons or not, the story allows us to feel inspired, even if momentarily.

Certain as the sun
Rising in the east

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

It’s Interesting

Disney unlocked the key to capturing its audience a long time ago. With its fairy tales, a big draw is the musical pieces. People aren’t just watching characters talk; they’re watching characters sing and dance, usually with songs that are hard to forget. It’s not unusual for Disney songs to get stuck in one’s head.

As already hinted at earlier in this post, the romance is one of the attractions of this fairy tale. Is the Beast worthy of love? Will Belle love him? Can Belle love him? For someone watching the movie for the first time, these are the questions that would run through their head. And even for those of us who have already seen the movie, there is still a certain charm as we watch Belle and the Beast slowly fall in love.

And Finally, It Makes Sense

Beauty and the Beast follows a distinct order, or better yet, it follows the Story Spine by Kenn Adams, a generally foolproof method of constructing a successful story. There is a beginning, event, middle, climax, and end, and as a result, there is no clashing with our internal logic over this story.

Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the beast

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast continues to awe audiences, young and old, time and time again. My list of reasons why is by no means exhaustive, and for other reasons check out the Top 10 Reasons why Beauty and the Beast is the Best Disney Princess Movie.

Photos taken from Google image search.