The 18th century fairy tale Beauty and the Beast is a hallmark of fantasy literature, best remembered today by the 1991 Disney picture that became the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. While the movie, directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, was both critically and commercially successful upon its release, it took serious artistic liberties with the dark source material from the original story—a choice that was likely made for the best.

Written by French author Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, the Prince isn’t punished for his selfishness or cruelty. Instead, he’s transformed into the тιтular Beast for a far more disturbing and adult reason that paints the prince as a hapless victim of Beauty and the Beast’s true villain. Though rewatches of the Disney film have forced viewers to confront harsh realities in the years since its release, the Beast’s journey from arrogance to humility remains a wholesome part of its narrative—however, the same can’t be said about the original fairy tale’s twisted premise.

The Real Reason The Prince Became Beast In The Original Beauty & The Beast

The Prince Has A Bad Godmother In The Original Fairy Tale

While the Prince is transformed into the Beast in the 1991 Disney film for refusing to let the Enchantress (disguised as an old beggar woman) enter his castle during a storm, in the original fairy tale, he’s not cursed by a stranger, but by his own fairy godmother. Her reason for doing so is disturbing, to say the least. Put simply, the evil fairy godmother transforms her godson into a hideous beast after he rejects her romantic advances.

This unsettling twist from the original tale adds uncomfortable elements that dabble with abuses of power and manipulation, and Disney’s choice to remove this creepy subplot was undoubtedly a wise choice in appealing to families and young audiences. Nevertheless, there’s a subtle complexity within the twisted power dynamics of Villeneuve’s fairy tale that both humanizes the Prince and frames him as a far greater victim in contrast to his Disney counterpart.

Beauty & The Beast’s Original Story Shows Why The Disney Version’s Real Villain Is The Enchantress

Her Villainous Nature Is Largely Unnoticed By Most Viewers

By getting rid of the Prince’s evil fairy godmother, Disney wrote themselves into a corner wherein they had to find a suitable replacement responsible for the creation of the Beast. Thus, they arrived at the Enchantress, a magical figure who at first glance might appear benevolent but is in reality the malevolent force behind the events of Beauty and the Beast.

Though the Prince appears to be in his late teens during the film’s stained-glᴀss intro where he refuses entry to the Enchantress, in reality, he was only 11 years old at the time, and incredibly undeserving of the punishment he incurred for the next decade, even with his behavior taken into account. He was only just a child, meaning that there could have been no justification for the Enchantress’ treatment of him and the years of isolation he was forced to endure at her hands. As a true victim, it’s much easier to see Beast as a sympathetic figure in the animated Beauty and the Beast movie.

The cruelty of the Enchantress isn’t just limited to pre-teens, however—it’s also toward those completely innocent as well, made most apparent through her transformation of the Prince’s entire staff into household objects, making them prisoners of the cursed castle. Truthfully, it’s incredible that more light hasn’t been shone on the villainous intentions of the Enchantress, which she frames under the guise of teaching the Prince a kind-hearted lesson. Though Belle eventually breaks the curse and the Prince regains his human form, it’s worth pointing out that Beauty and the Beast‘s true villain wasn’t Beast or even Gaston—it was always the Enchantress.