Sleeping Beauty is a classic fairy tale about a princess who is cursed to fall into a deep sleep on her 16th birthday. In the original French version by Charles Perrault, published in 1697, the prince plays a pivotal role in awakening the cursed princess. So what exactly did the prince do to Sleeping Beauty?
The Curse
The story begins with a king and queen who long for a child. When their wish is finally granted, they host a celebratory christening for their newborn daughter. They invite seven fairies to be the princess’ godmothers and bestow gifts upon her. Before the seventh fairy can present her gift, an uninvited eighth fairy appears – an evil fairy who is angry for not receiving an invitation. The evil fairy curses the princess to prick her finger on a spindle and die on her 16th birthday.
The seventh good fairy uses her gift to modify the curse so that the princess will only fall into a deep 100-year sleep instead of dying. The king tries to prevent the curse by banning all spindles in the kingdom. But on her 16th birthday, the princess explores the castle and finds an old woman spinning with a spindle. Drawn to it, she pricks her finger and fulfills the evil fairy’s curse, falling into a deep slumber.
The Prince Arrives
The king commands that the princess be placed in the finest room in the tallest tower to sleep. She lies there on a bed covered in gold and silver embroidery, appearing so beautiful that people call her Sleeping Beauty. The good fairy causes a forest of trees and brambles to grow up around the castle so no one can reach the princess. The princess sleeps for 100 years.
After a century passes, a prince from a neighboring kingdom happens upon the castle. He hears various stories about the beautiful sleeping princess inside. The prince is charmed and determined to see her. He bravely hacks through the thorny woods until he finds the castle.
The Prince Reaches the Princess
Inside the quiet castle, the prince heads up a winding staircase to the tall tower room. There he finds Sleeping Beauty lying fast asleep. Struck by her beauty, the prince kneels down beside her. He gives her a kiss, which awakens the princess from her century-long slumber. The castle also springs back to life as the prince’s kiss breaks the spell.
In Perrault’s original version, the story ends with the prince taking Sleeping Beauty as his wife after she wakes up. Some scholars see this as a metaphor for a girl’s passage into womanhood via first sexual experience in marriage.
Altered Versions
Later retellings of the Sleeping Beauty story modify these details. In the Brothers Grimm version of 1812, the prince’s kiss alone cannot wake the sleeping princess. Instead, when he kneels to kiss her, a piece of poisoned flax falls out of her dress. It was the removal of this flax that wakes her. Other versions have the princess wake up after 100 years simply because the curse has reached its end.
Disney’s Adaptation
In Disney’s iconic 1959 animated film, the prince has a much larger role leading up to his kiss. The Disney prince is named Prince Phillip and he forms a romantic bond with the now renamed Princess Aurora as a child. She is unaware of her royal identity and cursed destiny during their initial encounter.
When the curse sends Princess Aurora into a deep sleep on her 16th birthday, only a kiss of true love can break the spell. Prince Phillip battles the evil fairy Maleficent when she transforms into a dragon. After defeating her, he gives Aurora the kiss of true love that awakens her from eternal slumber.
The Power of the Kiss
The kiss in Sleeping Beauty holds great symbolic weight. It demonstrates romantic love and passion strong enough to break a powerful curse. The fact that Aurora does not consent to the kiss has fueled modern discussion about how appropriate this element is. Critics see the kiss as promoting unwanted sexual advances.
The prince’s climactic kiss has also been analyzed from a Freudian perspective. The kiss represents the traditional resolution of female sexual dormancy by a virile man. However, the scene can also indicate female sexual awakening and agency rather than passive receipt of male action.
True Love’s Power
Beyond sexual interpretations, the transformative kiss signifies true love. The power of the prince’s love for the princess can conquer any evil or misfortune, including a curse laid by a vengeful fairy. Their love was foretold by the fairy at Aurora’s christening who mitigated the curse.
The kiss proves that the prince and princess are soulmates whose bond can overcome all adversity. No obstacle, whether thorns or a wicked spell, can keep them apart. For this reason, the climactic kiss remains an iconic moment in fairy tale history despite its potentially problematic implications.
The Prince as Hero
The prince’s role in awakening Sleeping Beauty makes him an active hero. He is not a passive character or mere plot device. Though he only appears late in the story, he takes decisive action upon learning about the cursed princess.
He does not shy away from the thorns and dragons protecting Aurora’s sleeping form. The prince courageously fights through all barriers to access the castle and fulfill his heroic destiny. He is the embodiment of gallantry and romantic idealism.
Redeeming Qualities
Some critics argue the prince has few redeeming qualities beyond his wealth, status, and perseverance. However, his persistence in pursuing Aurora demonstrates the purity and strength of his love. The prince’s willingness to battle dragons to reach her also proves his courage.
The prince as a character may lack complexity, but he represents idealized heroic masculinity. His kiss proves redemptive, overcoming evil magic with good. Though overly simplified, the valiant prince remains an icon of optimism and faith in true love’s power.
Significance for Audiences
The prince’s climactic kiss of Sleeping Beauty resonates with audiences through the centuries because it represents the end of a long struggle. After a hundred years of separation and tribulation, love finally triumphs. The kiss symbolizes hope renewed and faith rewarded.
The prince functions as a classic fairy tale hero by taking vital action to save his beloved princess. His kiss resolves the suspense of the curse. Audiences relish seeing the spell dramatically broken and the long-suffering couple reunited at last.
Psychological Appeal
On a psychological level, the prince’s kiss taps into the universal desires to find true love and overcome adversity. It allows audiences to vicariously experience the thrill of romantic victory against all odds. The kiss represents the restoration of light over darkness through steadfast affection.
Seeing righteous power dispel evil resonates deeply with human yearnings for hope and justice. The simple act of a kiss conveys that redemptive power. Audiences innately delight in the triumph of love, made visible through the prince’s climactic kiss in this fairy tale world.
Conclusion
In Charles Perrault’s original 1697 tale, the un-named prince awakens Sleeping Beauty from her century-long slumber with a fateful kiss. This climactic moment signals the end of a long curse and the beginning of the couple’s happily ever after. Though simple in concept, the kiss carries complex meanings.
It represents the restorative power of true love and the strength of the prince’s passion for Princess Aurora. The kiss taps into audiences’ desires to see good defeat evil. Despite its potentially problematic gender implications, the transformative kiss remains an iconic moment proving love’s miraculous triumph over all.