Beast's Castle

Lore & Background

The castle was once the home of a selfish prince who scornfully refused shelter to an old beggar woman. She revealed herself as an enchantress and transformed him into a beast and his servants into household objects. To break the curse, the prince must learn to love someone and gain that person's love before the last petal of the enchanted rose falls; if he fails, he will remain a beast for the rest of his life. Ten years later, Belle, the bookish daughter of an eccentric inventor named Maurice, arrives at the castle after her father is detained for trespassing.

She offers to take his place as a prisoner, and the Beast agrees. The castle's servants, including candelabra Lumière, mantel clock Cogsworth, teapot Mrs. Potts, and her son Chip, a teacup, try to help the Beast win Belle's heart. Over time, Belle and the Beast begin to fall in love, culminating in a romantic dance. When Belle must leave to rescue her father, the Beast releases her out of love.

After Belle reveals the Beast to the townsfolk via a magic mirror, Gaston rallies the villagers to kill the Beast. Gaston attacks the Beast, fatally stabbing him. Belle tearfully professes her love to a dying Beast mere seconds before the last petal falls, which undoes the curse, reviving the Beast and restoring him and his servants to their human forms, and the castle is restored to its true appearance.

Did You Know?

• The Beast's design combines the head and horns of an American bison, the arms and body of a bear, the eyebrows of a gorilla, the teeth and mane of a lion, the tusks of a wild boar, and the legs and tail of a wolf.
• The film was the first animated feature to receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
• Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
• The film is dedicated to lyricist Howard Ashman, who died from AIDS eight months before its release.
• In 2002, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant'.