Beast versus Beast- A Battle of the Beauties

Disney’s animated Beauty and the Beast contains the ever-loved protagonist Belle, an intelligent, kind, and strong-willed woman. In fact, if you simply Google 'Beauty and the Beast', you are shown a slew of nothing but Disney, Disney, and more Disney. 

All you need is Google! Pic taken by me from Google

But, when one delves into literature and the various versions collected from around the world, that version is nowhere to be found. If anything, she is a mixture of two specific tales- Jeanne-Marie de Beaumont’s “Beauty and the Beast”, and Angela Carter’s “The Tiger’s Bride”.

Both stories contain familiar elements of the Disney classic. The de Beaumont version contains such reminders of the well-known animated classic such as the kind and beautiful, sweet daughter of a single father. How Beauty’s father gets lost in the woods due to poor weather conditions is something mentioned in the Disney version. Other familiar themes include Belle/Beauty becoming familiar enough with the Beast to feel comfortable enough to be around him daily, as well as the idea that Beauty misses her father terribly, goes to ensure his health, before returning to the Beast to live happily ever after. 

However, while I find this tale to be the closest to both Disney’s animated version and the live-action, there is something missing. Disney’s Belle is known for her witty personality and her strong will. That is something found within Angela Carter’s protagonist. Described similarly as a beautiful woman, this woman is truly the feminist protagonist that many tales and their many versions are lacking. The lady of the tale refuses to give into the Beast’s demands- practically telling him that if she does not give into HIS demands, he must give into HERS. Finally, in the end, she, herself, turns into a beast- a tigress. Interestingly, when it comes to tigers and tigresses, the males are generally more tolerant of other males. Females, on the other hand, are much fiercer and more protective. 

Beauty's Father losing to the Beast at Cards- Pic found from Google

However, if I had to pick between the two tales, I think I would have to pick Angela Carter’s “The Tiger’s Bride”. Her protagonist has a humor to her that I can appreciate and relate to.