Evie Summers
In the tale of Sleeping Beauty, the princess's parents are warned by a wicked fairy that their daughter will die when she pricks her finger on a particular item. In some versions, the item is a spindle, while in others, it is a piece of flax. The parents try to protect their daughter by ridding the kingdom of these items, but ultimately, the prophecy is fulfilled, and the princess falls into a deep sleep. In Giambattista Basile's version, titled Sun, Moon, and Talia, the princess's father, a great lord, learns of the prophecy from wise men and astrologers after her birth. In the 1959 Disney film, the princess's parents are King Stefan and Queen Leah, who welcome their newborn daughter, Aurora, into the kingdom of King Stefan and proclaim a holiday for their subjects to pay homage to the princess.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Names of Sleeping Beauty's parents | King Stefan and Queen Leah |
| Names of Sleeping Beauty's betrothed and his parents | Prince Phillip, son of King Hubert |
| Actions taken by the three good fairies | Altered the curse so that Sleeping Beauty would sleep until awakened by true love's kiss; put everyone in the kingdom to sleep until the spell was broken; helped Prince Phillip escape and fight Maleficent |
| Actions taken by Sleeping Beauty's parents | Proclaimed a holiday for their subjects to pay homage to the princess; betrothed her to Prince Phillip to unite their kingdoms |
| Outcome for Sleeping Beauty | Awakened by true love's kiss from Prince Phillip; reunited with her mother |
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What You'll Learn
King and Queen's fear for their daughter's safety
The fear of losing a child is a primal fear for any parent, and for royalty, the fear is no different. In the tale of Sleeping Beauty, the King and Queen's fear for their daughter's safety is a driving force behind the narrative. King Stefan and Queen Leah welcome their newborn daughter, Aurora, and their fear for her safety begins early, with the arrival of the evil fairy Maleficent at the christening.
Maleficent, angry at not being invited, places a curse on Aurora, declaring that before sunset on her sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel's spindle and die. This is a direct threat to the princess's life, and the king and queen are understandably terrified. They attempt to protect their daughter by ridding the kingdom of spinning wheels, but their efforts are in vain as the prophecy is fulfilled regardless.
The three good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, alter the curse so that Aurora will not die but fall into a deep sleep, only to be awakened by true love's kiss. The fairies, aware of the king and queen's anguish, put the entire kingdom to sleep until the spell is broken. They do not want the king and queen to know that their daughter is under Maleficent's curse, and they want Aurora to be surrounded by everyone she knows and loves when she awakens.
The king and queen's fear for their daughter's safety causes them to sacrifice their relationship with her. They miss her entire childhood, and she is raised by the three fairies. Despite their efforts, Aurora still falls under Maleficent's spell, proving that no place is entirely safe, and danger lurks even in the most protected of kingdoms.
The fear of a parent is a powerful motivator, and it is no wonder that King Stefan and Queen Leah took such drastic measures to try and protect their daughter. In the end, it is a combination of the fairies' magic and true love that saves Aurora, but the king and queen's initial fear sets the story in motion and influences the decisions of the characters throughout the tale.
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The prophecy is fulfilled
King Stefan and Queen Leah had welcomed their newborn daughter with great joy and celebration. They named her Aurora, after the dawn, for she filled their lives with sunshine. But their happiness was short-lived. At Aurora's christening, an uninvited guest appeared—the evil fairy Maleficent. She cursed the young princess, declaring that before sunset on her 16th birthday, she would prick her finger on a spinning wheel's spindle and die.
Determined to keep Aurora safe, the king and queen banned all spinning wheels from the kingdom. They even sent Aurora away to live with three good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, who raised her in a woodcutter's cottage in the forest. There, she grew up safe from Maleficent's plot—or so they thought.
But on her 16th birthday, the prophecy came true. Aurora, now a beautiful young woman, was lured by Maleficent to prick her finger on the spinning wheel's spindle. As she fell into a deep sleep, the fairies placed her in a bedroom in the highest tower of the castle and cast a spell over the entire kingdom, causing everyone to sleep until the spell could be broken.
Now, Aurora's only hope lies in true love's kiss. Her parents can only wait and pray that her betrothed, Prince Phillip, will be able to wake her and break the evil spell that holds their kingdom in its grasp.
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Princess is hidden from her parents
The story of Sleeping Beauty has been adapted countless times throughout history and across various media. In the original tale, the princess is cursed by a wicked fairy to die when she pricks her finger. Her parents, desperate to protect their daughter, rid the kingdom of the item that will cause the injury—in some versions, a spindle, and in others, a piece of flax. However, their efforts are futile, and the prophecy is fulfilled.
In some versions of the story, the princess is hidden from her parents after she falls under the curse. In the 1959 Disney film adaptation, for example, the three good fairies who alter the curse so that the princess will sleep instead of die, also place a spell on the kingdom, causing everyone to fall asleep. They do this to prevent the king and queen from discovering that their daughter has been cursed by Maleficent. The fairies want the princess to be surrounded by everyone she knows and loves when she eventually wakes up.
In Giambattista Basile's version of the tale, titled Sun, Moon, and Talia, the sleeping beauty, Talia, is discovered by a wandering prince who carries her to a bed. He abandons her there after an assault, and she gives birth to twins while still unconscious. In this version, the princess is hidden from her parents as she is living in seclusion with her children, and it is the prince who is her betrothed.
In another version of the story, the princess is hidden from her parents in a different way. After falling under the curse, the fairies place her in a tower, and a forest of trees, brambles, and thorns springs up around the castle, shielding it from the outside world. The king and queen kiss their daughter goodbye and leave the castle, ensuring that no one disturbs her slumber.
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The fairies place the sleeping princess in a tower
In the 1959 Disney film Sleeping Beauty, the three good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, place the sleeping Princess Aurora in a tower. They do this to protect her from Maleficent's plot and to keep her parents, King Stefan and Queen Leah, from discovering that their daughter has fallen under the evil fairy's curse. The fairies alter the curse so that instead of dying, Aurora will sleep until she is awakened by true love's kiss.
In the original tale, written by Italian poet Giambattista Basile in the 17th century, the sleeping beauty is named Talia. She falls into a deep sleep after getting a splinter of flax embedded under her fingernail. In this version, Talia is discovered by a wandering prince, who carries her to a bed in a palace. However, he abandons her there, and she later gives birth to twins while still unconscious.
The Disney film depicts the fairies placing Aurora in the highest tower of her parents' castle. They cast a spell to make the entire kingdom sleep until the princess awakens, ensuring that she will be surrounded by loved ones when she wakes. The fairies also realise that the mysterious stranger Aurora fell in love with is her betrothed, Prince Phillip. They rush to find him, only to discover that he has been captured by Maleficent.
The placement of the sleeping princess in a tower serves as a pivotal moment in the story, leading to the eventual confrontation between the fairies and Maleficent, as well as the fulfilment of the prophecy that only true love's kiss can awaken Aurora. The tower becomes a symbolic location, representing both the isolation and vulnerability of the sleeping princess and the potential for her rescue and transformation.
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The princess is saved by a prince
The tale of Sleeping Beauty is a classic story of magic, romance, and adventure. It has been adapted and retold numerous times, but the core elements remain constant: the beautiful princess, the evil fairy's curse, and the brave prince who saves the day. This is the story of how the princess is saved by her prince.
In the kingdom of a King and Queen, a beautiful princess named Aurora is born. Her parents, overjoyed by her arrival, proclaim a holiday for their subjects to celebrate and pay homage to the newborn princess. At her christening, she is betrothed to Prince Phillip, the son of a neighbouring king, uniting their kingdoms.
As the kingdom rejoices, three good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, bestow gifts upon the princess. However, their celebration is interrupted by the uninvited evil fairy Maleficent, who curses the young princess. In a fit of anger and vengeance, Maleficent declares that before sunset on Aurora's 16th birthday, she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel's spindle and die.
Desperate to protect Aurora, the fairies adopt her and raise her in a woodcutter's cottage in the forest, far from the dangers of the castle. They teach her, guide her, and shower her with love, doing everything in their power to keep her safe. But fate is unyielding. On her 16th birthday, Aurora, now a young woman, meets a mysterious stranger in the forest and falls in love. Unbeknownst to her, this stranger is none other than her betrothed, Prince Phillip.
That fateful evening, Aurora returns to her parents' castle for her birthday celebration. Maleficent, with her dark magic, lures the princess to a tower room and hypnotizes her. Aurora, under Maleficent's spell, pricks her finger on the spinning wheel's spindle and falls into a deep sleep, just as the curse foretold. The fairies, realizing their mistake, rush to her aid, but they are too late.
Heartbroken and determined to save their beloved Aurora, the fairies place her in a bedroom in the highest tower. They cast a spell on the entire kingdom, causing everyone to fall asleep, so that when Aurora awakens, she will be surrounded by those she knows and loves. The fairies then set out to find Prince Phillip, knowing that only true love's kiss can break the spell.
Prince Phillip, brave and resolute, rides to the castle, facing Maleficent's army and her evil spells. With the help of the fairies, he defeats Maleficent and her dragon form. Finally, he reaches the sleeping Aurora, and with a kiss, he breaks the curse. Aurora awakens, and the kingdom awakens with her.
Arm in arm, Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora descend the castle stairs, greeted by their joyous subjects. Aurora embraces her parents, and the kingdom celebrates the triumph of love and courage over darkness. The prince and princess, together, have vanquished evil and ensured a future filled with happiness and peace.
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Frequently asked questions
In the 1959 Disney film, Sleeping Beauty, Princess Aurora's parents, King Stefan and Queen Leah, are grief-stricken when their daughter falls into a deep sleep. They are overjoyed when she is awakened by Prince Phillip's kiss.
After Princess Aurora pricks her finger, the three good fairies place her in a bedroom in the highest tower and put everyone in the kingdom to sleep until their princess awakens. They do this to hide their failure to protect her from her parents, who they fear will be heartbroken.
When Princess Aurora wakes up from her slumber, she is reunited with her parents. She and Prince Phillip descend to the ballroom, where she happily dances with him as her parents and the good fairies look on with joy.
In the Brothers Grimm version of the tale, the princess's parents are told by a wicked fairy that their daughter will die when she pricks her finger. They rid the kingdom of spindles in the hopes of protecting her, but the prophecy is fulfilled regardless. In Giambattista Basile's version, the princess's father, a great lord, learns from wise men and astrologers that his daughter Talia will be in danger from a splinter of flax. Despite their efforts to protect her, she falls into a deep sleep after getting a splinter under her nail.
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