sleeping beauty comparison, Esercizi di Letteratura Inglese

Scarica sleeping beauty comparison e più Esercizi in PDF di Letteratura Inglese solo su Docsity! Sleeping Beauty Through the Years A comparison between “Sleeping Beauty” and “Brier Rose” Fairy tales have always been crucial for both adults and children as they often display enchanted realms that transcend cultural and chronological backgrounds. They are important as they display a rich tapestry of moral lessons, imparting wisdom on virtues like bravery, kindness, honesty, and perseverance. Through the adventures of humble characters, tales often offer tangible life lessons that resonate with the audience, stimulating reflection and application of these virtues in their own lives. Moreover, fairy tales are really useful for nurturing creativity and imagination, especially in children by bringing them into fantastical worlds brimming with magical creatures, beautiful landscapes and crazy adventures. Fairy tales serve as mirrors to reflect diverse values, beliefs and traditions of various cultures, often mixed together to create interesting stories that transcend borders: they provide invaluable insight into cultural heritages passed down through generations, offering different points of view into the collective psyche of societies around the globe. Under their apparently innocent surface, exploring universal themes such as love, jealousy and fear, fairy tales often harbor profound psychological insight into human nature and behavior, showcasing how characters deal with these emotions and offering crucial moral lessons for the audience to apply in their own lives. In particular, “Sleeping Beauty” is considered a timeless tale of magic and awakening and it has always had a captivating appeal across generations, always enchanting them with its profound themes. Though originating in two prominent versions, Charles Perrault’s 1697 rendition and the Grimm Brothers’ “Brier Rose” of 1857, this fairy tale has transcended cultural borders to become a universally recognized story fundamental in the childhoods of many. The essence of the story remains very similar in both versions, drawing inspiration from an Italian fairy tale written by Giambattista Basile titled “Sun, Moon and Talia”. This narrative revolves around Talia, a newborn child born to a lord and her malediction (Basile), and it has been used as a foundation upon which both authors built their versions. Central to both tales is a pretext: the jealousy of an uninvited fairy at the banquet held in honor of the newborn child, but as the story unfolds, it delves into deeper themes like love, destiny, loneliness and time. The core story remains the same in both versions: a princess is cursed by a jealous fairy to sleep for a century after picking her finger on a spindle, only to be awakened by a prince who breaks the curse. In both narratives, the general structure adheres to a narrative arc with common key points: beginning with the curse, the sleep, the prince’s quest, her awakening and culminating in a triumphant ending. It also features typical fairy tale elements such as magical interventions and tests of bravery, along with typical character personalities. As an example, the protagonist is the typical princess, symbolizing purity and resilience, who assumes a passive rose throughout much of the story. However, at the end, she embodies the transformative power of love, and her awakening symbolizes a rebirth and a return to life and agency. The antagonist of the story is the evil fairy who casts the curse: she embodies jealousy and destruction, yet she also serves as a manifestation of her own insecurity and desire for validation. She plays a crucial role as her curse sets the events of the tale in motion, highlighting the impact of evil on both the individual and the society as both the princess and the kingdom fall into a deep sleep. The prince represents the archetypal courageous hero, embarking on a quest to save the princess. Although his bravery and perseverance, his actions could be interpreted as an attempt to fulfill his predetermined role in the story. One crucial point in both stories is that the princess’s life could serve as a metaphor for the social expectations and ambition upon her even before she can speak her first word. The gifts given to her by the fairies are a key element to understanding the hyper-idealization of the parents towards the princess, burdening her with the weight of society's unrealistic expectations: beauty and talents are seen as indispensable virtues for her personal fulfillment as a woman. Moreover, another key theme could be the curse as a representation of female puberty, with the bleeding from the spindle serving as a metaphor for the menstrual cycle. In addition, the deep sleep signifies the period of transition and changes that women undergo during puberty: some elements are in common, such as the isolation, confusion, fear and the passivity of the princess in the first phase. The differences between the two stories become clear from the start, especially in how they introduce magical elements. In brother Grimms’s version, the magic is represented by a frog who tells the parents that they are going to have a daughter (Zipes 696). Fantastic elements often add a mystical touch to the story, blurring the lines between what is normal and what is magical, setting the stage for a tale where destiny and fate play a big role. In contrast, Charles Perrault’s version unfolds without a magical intervention at first, making it seem like something that could happen in real life. While his story still has some magic, the focus is more on what the human characters do. Another difference is in the number of fairies invited to the big banquet in each story: Perrault’s version has seven fairies, while the brothers Grimm's version has twelve. These numbers could have special meanings in different cultures and religions: as an example, the number twelve could represent the twelve apostles during the last supper of Jesus Christ, while the number seven is often considered as the perfect number in many traditions. Perrault’s choice might make the story more pagan, while the brothers Grimm’s choice adds a deeper Christian meaning. Contrary to “Briar Rose” where the curse affects the entire kingdom, in “Sleeping Beauty” the curse specifically targets the princess, leaving the rest of the castle untouched. However, one of the good fairies decides to cast a protective enchantment over the entire kingdom, animals included, ensuring they would be ready to help the princess after her deep sleep. Even the parents, who fall into a deep sleep along with the rest of the kingdom in the Brothers Grimm’s version, are not cursed in Perrault's version. Instead, they depart from the castle, symbolizing a sense of hope and anticipation for her eventual awakening: This