BENEATH THE SURFACE
Beneath the surface of Beauty and the Beast, as in most fairytales, there are lessons to be learned. First, we should not judge a person by his or her appearance, or looks. What matters most is what's on the inside, the heart and soul within, the emotions which create the personality. There is a second lesson here too — true love can overcome all obstacles. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, for true love sees beneath the surface to the internal beauty of the heart and soul.
The original story, written by Madame de Villenueve of France, has been retold many times with only slight variations. All maintain the simple theme of a handsome prince under an evil spell which can only be broken by the love of a beautiful maiden. The television series used a more modern time frame although the secret underground Tunnel World has elements of a make-believe, fairytale existence. Our hero's appearance was still caused by man's interference with nature — although scientific instead of enchantment. In both versions, however, our hero is a romantic figure, forced to shun society, fearing rejection because of his outward appearance. Also, in both versions, the heroine is a beautiful woman whose love and pure heart enable her to see the real person, the human being beneath the surface.
Although the stories are based on the same basic plot, the appearance of the Beast varies somewhat. In the original fairytale, he is described as "...a huge Beast with glaring eyes, mighty jaws and gigantic ears." An illustration from one source shows him as resembling a giant rabbit.
The Disney movie version is very close to the original description of a huge, frightful beast with a gruff voice. Then we have Vincent, the television version with feline features very much like a lion — often called the King of Beasts. Even his long, golden hair is reminiscent of a lion's glorious mane and his fingernails strongly resemble a lion's claws. However, whereas the other Beast personalities have four paws and a tail, Vincent is more human; probably because he was born in the same way as any human child instead of being magically transformed.
As with the story itself, one common factor is present in each version of the Beast — his personality. Each Beast is portrayed as kind, gentle, compassionate, sensitive, warm-hearted and loving. He is a hero in disguise, the ultimate romantic, the knight is shining armour that all women dream about finding. The beast's appearance, though, is of little concern. It is the personality which produces the chemistry, the animal magnetism that attracts us to the gentle spirit BENEATH THE SURFACE
Beauty and the Beast
© Fayz World & Sugarwolf Designs
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