Colin Snow
Sleeping Beauty is a classic fairy tale that has captivated audiences for centuries and has been adapted countless times. The story of a beautiful princess who falls into a deep sleep after pricking her finger on a spindle, only to be awakened by true love's kiss, is a timeless fantasy. However, the original tale is much darker, with themes of rape and infidelity, and the passive nature of the female protagonist has led to criticism of the story in modern times. The tale has evolved over time, with notable versions by Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Giambattista Basile, each with distinct differences.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of Princess | Talia, Brier-Rose, Aurora |
| Cause of Sleep | Pricked finger on a spindle |
| Duration of Sleep | 100 years |
| Reason for Sleep | A curse by the Fairy of Darkness |
| Resolution | Awakened by a prince's kiss |
| Original Story | Giambattista Basile's Sun, Moon, and Talia |
| Other Versions | The Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, Disney |
| Criticisms | Naive, malleable, vapid, lacking interesting qualities |
| Modern Retellings | Novels, ballets, poems |
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What You'll Learn
The prophecy
On the day of the princess's birth, her parents, the king and queen, host a grand celebration. They invite all the fairies in the kingdom to bestow their gifts upon their newborn daughter. The youngest fairy decrees that the princess shall be the most beautiful person in the world, the next that she shall have the temper of an angel, and so on. However, when it is the turn of the aged fairy, her gift is not so benevolent. Shaking her head, she foretells that the princess shall one day prick her finger on a spindle and die. This prophecy shocks and upsets the entire company, but before they can despair for too long, the young fairy steps forward and offers a counter-prophecy: the princess, she says, shall not die but will fall into a deep sleep for one hundred years and be awakened by a prince's kiss.
The king and queen, terrified of the prophecy, attempt to protect their daughter by ridding the kingdom of spindles. However, as is often the case with such predictions, the prophecy is fulfilled regardless. One day, the princess, now grown, sees an old woman spinning outside her window. Intrigued, she invites the woman over, takes the spindle from her, and inadvertently pricks her finger, thus fulfilling the prophecy and falling into a deep sleep.
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The curse
Despite the king and queen's efforts to rid the kingdom of these items, the prophecy is fulfilled. The princess pricks her finger and falls into a deep sleep. In some versions of the story, the curse is mitigated by a benevolent fairy, who changes the prediction so that the princess will not die but will sleep for one hundred years and be awakened by a prince's kiss.
In Basile's version, titled "Sun, Moon, and Talia," the sleeping beauty is named Talia. Talia sees an old woman spinning outside her window and is intrigued by the sight of the twirling spindle. She invites the woman over and takes the distaff from her, accidentally embedding a splinter of flax under her nail, which causes her to fall asleep.
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The sleep
In the original tale, the princess is said to be so beautiful that even in sleep, her complexion remains fair, with flushed cheeks and coral lips. Her gentle breathing indicates that she is alive, and the king commands that she be left to sleep in peace until the hour of her awakening. This moment marks the beginning of the falling action in the story, as the prince rushes to her side.
The length of the sleep is not always specified as 100 years. In some versions, it is simply a long nap, while in others, it is long enough for the throne to pass to another family. The sleeping beauty motif has been used in various retellings and adaptations, including novels, ballet, and film.
The concept of a sleeping princess has captivated audiences for centuries, with the tale appearing in various forms and media. While the details of the sleep curse vary, the core element of a beautiful princess awakening after a prolonged sleep remains a captivating and timeless portrait.
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The prince
The character of the prince varies across different versions of the Sleeping Beauty tale. In Charles Perrault's version, "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood", the prince plays a relatively passive role. He comes across the castle of the sleeping princess by chance while out hunting and, upon hearing the story of the sleeping princess from an old peasant, decides to enter the castle. He finds the princess, helps her to rise, and kisses her. Notably, in this version, the prince's kiss does not actually break the curse; he simply happens to arrive and kiss the princess at the end of the 100-year time period. After the princess awakens, the prince marries her, but the narrative focuses primarily on the princess rather than providing further details about the prince's character or actions.
In the Brothers Grimm version, the prince also discovers the sleeping princess by chance while hunting. However, in this version, the prince is guided to the hidden palace by the Lilac Fairy, who shows him a vision of the princess. The prince becomes enchanted with the vision and begs the fairy to take him to the princess. Upon finding the sleeping princess, he awakens her with a kiss. The prince then marries the princess, and they are served supper by the stewards of the household. The narrative again focuses primarily on the princess, with limited details provided about the prince beyond his role in discovering and awakening her.
In Giambattista Basile's version, titled "Sun, Moon, and Talia", the prince does not play a direct role in awakening the sleeping princess, Talia. Instead, Talia gives birth to twins while under the sleeping curse, and one of the babies sucks the splinter of flax from under her nail, awakening her. The prince appears later in the story, when he discovers Talia and falls in love with her. He takes her to his palace, where she becomes pregnant with his child. However, the prince's jealous first wife discovers Talia and her children and plots to kill them. This plot is foiled, and the prince and Talia, along with their children, live happily ever after.
While the specific details vary, a common theme across these versions is that the prince often serves as a catalyst for discovering the sleeping princess and initiating her awakening, whether through his kiss or by being guided to her by a fairy. However, the prince's role is often secondary to that of the princess, who is typically the central character in the tale.
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The awakening
In the original tale of Sleeping Beauty, the princess is awakened by a prince's kiss. However, this was not the original ending. In the earliest versions of the story, the princess pricks her finger and falls into an enchanted sleep, but the prince's kiss is a later addition. The true ending is far more disturbing and includes themes of rape and infidelity.
In Giambattista Basile's version, titled Sun, Moon, and Talia, the sleeping beauty is named Talia. Unlike the passive princesses of later adaptations, Talia is intrigued by the sight of an old woman spinning flax outside her window. She invites the woman in and takes the spindle from her, only to be pricked by a splinter of flax, causing her to fall asleep. This version has strong necrophilia undertones as, after the king discovers the sleeping Talia, he carries her to bed and, in the words of Basile, 'took his pleasure with her'. Talia then wakes up and is crowned queen, raising two children, one of whom is the king's. She marries the king, her rapist, and they all live happily ever after.
In Charles Perrault's version, "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood", the princess is cursed to sleep for a hundred years after pricking her finger on a spindle. The story ends with the prince finding the sleeping princess and kissing her just as the curse is broken. However, the Grimms Brothers' version, which borrows heavily from Perrault, includes a darker twist. In their tale, the prince arrives too late, and the princess has already woken from her century-long slumber. The prince then impregnates the sleeping princess, and the story ends with the cook and her children almost being put to death before being hidden.
Despite the disturbing themes of the original tale, the story of Sleeping Beauty has endured and been adapted countless times, each version reflecting the values and beliefs of its time. From the passive princesses of Disney's Aurora and Brier-Rose to the strong necrophilia and rape themes of the original, the tale of Sleeping Beauty continues to captivate audiences with its sense of dread and wonder.
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Frequently asked questions
The original version of Sleeping Beauty is a lot darker than the modern versions. In Giambattista Basile's version, titled Sun, Moon, and Talia, Talia is a princess who sees an old woman spinning outside her window. Intrigued, she invites the woman over and takes the spindle from her, embedding a splinter of flax under her nail and causing her to fall asleep. This version also includes themes of rape, infidelity, and necrophilia.
The Brothers Grimm version of Sleeping Beauty is titled Little Brier-Rose and borrows heavily from Charles Perrault's version, "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood". In this version, the princess pricks her finger on a spindle and falls asleep for 100 years. A prince arrives and kisses her just as the curse is broken.
In Charles Perrault's version, titled "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood", seven good fairies bestow gifts upon the princess, including beauty, grace, and a beautiful singing voice. However, an eighth fairy, who was not invited to the celebration, declares that the princess shall prick her hand with a spindle and die. Another fairy softens the curse, stating that the princess will not die but will fall asleep for 100 years and be awakened by a prince's kiss.
Sleeping Beauty has been adapted countless times throughout history and continues to be retold in various media. Some modern adaptations include The Gates of Sleep (2012) by Mercedes Lackey, Sleeping Beauty: The One Who Took the Really Long Nap (2018) by Wendy Mass, and Lava Red Feather Blue (2021) by Molly Ringle, which features a male/male twist on the traditional story.
The character of Sleeping Beauty has received criticism for being portrayed as ""naive and malleable". She has been described as "delicate" and "vapid", lacking interesting qualities and agency. However, some have defended the character by noting that the presence of other female characters, such as the fairies and Maleficent, allows her to be what she is without making a subconscious statement about all women.
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