Archetypes In Beauty And The Beast

Fairy tales started a long time ago and are still a large part of people's childhoods today. They teach important values such as kindness, problem solving and bravery. These morals are taught in ways a child can understand and apply to. The story The Beauty and the Beast, written by Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont, has a history back from the 1400s, archetypal elements and values that teach people.
Beauty and the Beast is originally written by De Beaumont in France. She wrote it for a women's magazine. In an article it says, “Beaumont explains the urgent motivation for her educational journal, invoking the scarcity of books suitable for children, especially girls”(Korneeva 1). This story is influenced by a story called Cupid and Psyche by Apuleius. . Jack Zipes explains that Beauty and the Beast, “was printed in 1469 in an edition whose Latin text eventually spread throughout Europe” (Zipes 79). Later it was translated

Beauty is the hero in the story since she goes through events which lead to her saving someone. She also risks her life going somewhere she does not know to help her father and keep him from dying. The Beast is the evil figure with an ultimately good heart. This archetype is basically named after the Beast in Beauty and the Beast and is pretty self explanatory since he is a beast and has a kind heart. He does not want to hurt Beauty but wants her help. In De Beaumont’s story Belle tells the Beast, "I own I am pleased with your kindness, and when I consider that, your deformity scarce appears”(De Beaumont 1). This shows that he is nice to Beauty. The Beast replies, “my heart is good, but still I am a monster"(De Beaumont 1). Beauty and the Beast are star crossed lovers which is another archetype. They are not meant to be together but Beauty's kindness overlooks his ugliness and ends up loving