Fairy tales have possessed great significance in modern times as well as in the past. People describe their fantasies, which they imagine in their leisure time, in such a beautiful way that attracts the attention of both toddlers and youngsters.
“The Beauty and The Beast” is also a very classic and much-loved fairy tale of its time. It has entertained many souls since it was released. This remarkable story includes the character of a wealthy merchant who was the father of three beautiful daughters, but among them, the most attractive was the youngest one, whose name was ‘Beauty.’
Due to her beautiful name, she gained a sense of hatred from her two sisters. The eldest ones would not meet with fellow merchant daughters as they were very proud of their social status. They loved to attend parties and concerts. This sets a boundary between these two and ‘Beauty’ because she was a humble person and a book lover.
The merchant lost his fortune, having only a small country house that was at a remote distance from the country. The merchant told his daughters with a heavy heart that they had to move there and work to make some livelihood. His elder daughters reacted negatively. They assumed that their rich friends would help them, but their friendship ended as their social status decreased.
This story is quite exciting and as enjoyable as any other one, which can be elaborated to the point of view where we will be able to have the answers to our insights. The prince remained cursed for about 10 years, and this curse would be removed when he reaches 21 years of age. Belle was 17 years old when she met the beast (a prince).
To narrow it down, this story that will further depict the prince and his curse is discussed extensively in this article.
Why Was the Prince Cursed as a Beast?
The prince was a lonely soul and had loved no one in his entire life, which made his heart cruel and made him turn into a fearful and terrible beast. The curse will last until his 21st birthday, which makes the 11-year-old prince turn into a beast.
The prince has lived his life as a beast for quite some time. This curse can only be broken when the prince loves someone with his heart and receives true love pure from any greed for his wealth.
All these years, the prince has been lonely because no one wants to spend their life with an ugly, fearful-looking beast.
Merchant’s Visit to the Castle
On one stormy night, the merchant (father of Beauty) entered the beast’s castle. The merchant waited for the owner to greet him at the palace, but no one showed up, so the merchant entered the castle and ate some chicken with a glass of wine.
He then took a little visit to the palace, and at first, thought it might be the house of some fairy. He thanked his imaginary fairy and found his way into the garden, where he saw a bunch of roses, which reminded him of the wish of Beauty to bring some roses.
He plucked one of the roses, and the roar of a monster came from behind him, which left him startled. The roar continued and said, “You have plucked a flower from my garden. A strong punishment shall befall you.”
The merchant begged for his life and said that he was the only one caring for his three daughters. The beast angrily ordered him to bring his daughter to him.
The merchant left and told the whole story to his daughters, and the most caring “Beauty” volunteered to spend her life with the beast, which left her father in a sense of grief. They both returned to the palace, and the merchant left Beauty with the beast.
How Long Did The Prince Remain Cursed as a Beast?
According to the research, it has been clear that the prince remained cursed for about 10 years of his life, as he was 11 years old when he got the curse and was 21 when he was cured and became a charming prince once again.
- To continue the story, the beauty found out that the beast was a kindhearted and caring creature, which was the opposite of his physical appearance.
- After some time, the beauty found that her father was seriously ill and made a request to the beast to let her meet her beloved father.
- The beast agreed but said, “You shall return in a week”. When Beauty went home, her father was so happy to see the arrival of his dear daughter.
- He enlightened her with the good news of the marriage of her two elder sisters, but she found out that both of their husbands were handsome, but none of them was as good as the beast in terms of behavior and kindness.
She spent more than a week in her father’s house and finally realized that the beast might have died in loneliness, which she had seen in her dream.
She immediately returned to the palace via the magical mirror given by the beast, where she waited for the clock to hit nine, which was the arrival time for the beast, but he did not appear, which left the beauty amazed.
She searched the whole palace but couldn’t find any luck when suddenly she remembered what she had seen in her dreams and went running into a garden where she found a beast lying on the ground, dying from loneliness.
She woke him up and agreed to marry him. A spark of light emerged from the beast’s body, and a handsome young prince was lying in the place of the beast. The curse ended, and they lived happily ever after. The prince’s curse lasted for ten years.
What Is The Age Difference Between Belle And The Beast?
The prince was 11 years old when he got cursed, and the curse was supposed to end on his 21st birthday, but until that birthday, he might die from loneliness, while Belle was seven years old when the prince was 11.
The prince met Belle earlier, which saved his life, and they got married when the prince turned 21 years old. Belle was at the age of seventeen when they got married. Overall, we can sum it up as there was a total of 4 years of age difference between Belle and the Beast.
What Was The Beast’s Curse?
The prince was a cruel-hearted person, and because of this, he was cursed by a magician. As the prince has no love for anyone in his heart, the prince has changed into a fearful beast. This terrible spell might only be shattered when the beast starts loving someone with a true heart and gets the true love of the other one too.
Examples of Other Stories
As we have already come to know about the back end story of this fascinating and incredible tale we can conclude that there are numerous other stories as well, that will keep engaging children.
| Other Stories | Themes |
| Snow White and Seven Dwarfs | Real beauty comes from inside |
| The Little Mermaid | Represents freedom |
| Alice in Wonderland | The terrible deficit of innocence |
| Rapunzel | The artificiality of humanity |
| Peter Pan | Imagination |
| Frozen | Importance of family |
Conclusion
- The prince was cursed as a beast from age 11 to 21, lasting about 10 years.
- Belle met the beast at age 17, making a 4-year age gap between them.
- The prince’s curse stemmed from his cruelty, turning him into a fearful beast.
- Belle’s love broke the curse, leading to their happy ending.
- Both Belle and the prince share traits of kindness and compassion.
- Fairy tales like “Beauty and the Beast” teach lessons about inner beauty and love’s transformative power.
- The story highlights valuing character over appearance.
- “Beauty and the Beast” showcases the redemptive power of love and kindness.