The Beast
The enchanted prince of Beauty and the Beast
The frightening but generous master of an enchanted palace, condemned to wear a monstrous shape until someone chooses him for his character rather than his appearance.
Quick answer
In Leprince de Beaumont’s tale, the Beast is a prince trapped in a monstrous form by a fairy’s spell. He first threatens Beauty’s father over a stolen rose, but his patience, honesty, and generosity lead Beauty to value him and willingly agree to marry him, ending the enchantment.
Quick facts
| Tradition | French literary fairy tale in English translation |
|---|---|
| Book | Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Beauty and the Beast |
| Source realm | The Beast’s enchanted palace |
| Creature type | Enchanted prince in a monstrous shape |
| Defining trait | A terrifying appearance paired with a kind and generous nature [1] |
| Daily custom | Visits Beauty at supper and asks her to marry him |
| Magic | Commands an unseen palace and sends Beauty home through an enchanted ring |
| Outcome | Returns to human form when Beauty freely accepts him as her husband |
What the source book says
A ruined merchant finds shelter in a richly furnished but apparently empty palace. When he plucks a rose for his youngest daughter, Beauty, the Beast appears and threatens his life. The Beast relents only if one of the merchant’s daughters comes willingly in his place. Beauty accepts the condition to save her father.[1]
At the palace, the Beast makes Beauty its mistress, speaks with her at supper, and asks her each evening to marry him. He eventually lets her visit her sick father, although he fears the separation will kill him. Beauty returns late and finds him collapsed in the garden. When she declares that she cannot live without him and agrees to marry him, the Beast becomes a prince and explains the fairy’s curse.[1]
Description and abilities
The tale keeps the Beast’s physical form deliberately vague. Other characters react to an “ugly monster,” while he describes his own deformity and lack of wit. His conduct receives much more detail: he is plain-spoken, hospitable to Beauty, attentive to her wishes, able to restrain his grief and anger, and willing to risk losing her rather than keep her unhappy.[1]
- Lives under a spell in a remote palace
- Has a frightening form the text does not anatomically define
- Controls magical transport, gifts, and a seeing mirror
- Visits Beauty at nine each evening
- Returns to his original human form when the condition of the spell is met
Source realm: the enchanted palace
The palace supplies food, music, books, clothing, and rooms without visible servants. A mirror lets Beauty see her family, while a ring carries her between the palace and her father’s house. Its luxury initially contrasts with the Beast’s appearance, then becomes less important than the companionship the two develop there.
Major themes
Character over appearance
Beauty openly acknowledges the Beast’s ugliness but comes to prefer his goodness to attractive people with selfish or cruel hearts.
Consent breaks the spell
The enchantment ends only when Beauty chooses marriage herself. The Beast repeatedly asks, accepts her refusals, and allows her to leave despite his fear.
Names as roles
Neither central figure is given an ordinary personal name. “Beauty” and “Beast” begin as descriptions, but the tale tests what those labels fail to reveal about each character.
Book and reference
- 1Beauty and the Beast
Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. Public-domain English text reproduced as Project Gutenberg eBook 7074; the ebook does not identify the translator or date of its source edition.
Project Gutenberg edition ↗