The story of “Beauty and the Beast” is one of the most beloved and persistent fairy tales in modern culture. Its universal appeal is due to its captivating message of “true love” and the idea that “beauty lies within.” However, the concept of the animal groom has been used for centuries in children's literature, and just like the modern interpretation of the tale itself, the expression "looks can be deceiving" is true when it comes to tales like "The Pig King" and "The King of Pigs". The Frog King”. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay "The Frog King" written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (1812) is the story of a young and naive princess who meets a frog while playing in the garden (Ashliman, 2005). The princess makes a deal with the frog, promising that she will let him live with her, but then leaves the frog admitting that she never intended to keep her promise. Later the frog returns and the girl's father scolds her and orders her: "When you make a promise, you must keep it" (Tatar, 1999, 49). The girl does as she is told until the frog tries to get into her bed, disgusted, she throws him against the wall and he transforms into a prince with “beautiful and radiant eyes” and they fall in love (Tatar, 1999, 50). Alternatively, “The Pig King” by Giovanni Francesco Straparola presents a more compliant bride willing to accept her deformed husband. The story begins with a queen who is desperate for a son and, due to a spell, gives birth to a boy with the body of a pig. The king and queen raise the pig who one day asks his parents to find him a wife because he has fallen in love with a beautiful but poor girl from the city. The girl is not willing to marry the pig and is forced by her mother to accept the offer but is so disgusted by her husband that she decides to kill him, however, the pig discovers her plot and kills her first. The pig then asks to marry the girl's younger sister, and the second marriage ends like the first. Eventually the pig marries his younger sister who humbly accepts him as her husband. The pig later sheds its skin and becomes a beautiful young man and the two live happily ever after (Tatar, 1999, 42-47). Finally, Jeanne-Marie Leprince De Beaumont's tale of “Beauty and the Beast” (1757) requires minimal introduction as it is one of the best-known fairy tales in the world. The story follows a young, beautiful girl who sacrifices herself to save her father from being devoured by an aristocratic beast. Slowly the girl begins to grow fond of the beast and eventually manages to see beyond his ugliness and agrees to marry him. The Beast then transforms into a handsome prince and Beauty is rewarded for her virtue while her cruel sisters are punished. (Tatar, 1999, 32-42) Although these stories appear very different and contain different messages, they are all classified under the subset of the animal groom tale and all touch on similar themes (Heiner, 2007). However, it is how each story addresses these themes that alters the overall meaning of the story. For example, each story contains a different variant of an arranged marriage, the consequences and motivations of such a marriage are examined in more or less depth and give rise to different outcomes. Furthermore, the recurring motif of the animal groom and the beautiful maiden highlights the gender and class roles and expectations at the time each tale was written; some stories are empowering while others are simply reflections of the repressive society of the time. Finally, the theme of sex and attraction is present and, in fact and in any case, drives the plotand conveys the meaning of fairy tales. SEXUAL MATURATION, GENDER AND ATTRACTION Attraction is a central theme in every telling of this story and is exaggerated since the men in each story are literally portrayed as animals. Notably while the women in these tales are unfailingly beautiful, the men are judged in other spheres and are only attractive when their true virtue is discovered, indicating that a man's true worth is in his character. The beauty of “Beauty and the Beast” and the maiden of “The Pig King” share many idealized feminine traits such as obedience and kindness. However, the protagonist of “The Frog Prince” is indicative of a different feminine ideal, she is beautiful and innocent like her counterparts but less submissive and more selfish and proves capable of finding her own happiness through action as opposed to passivity. The women in each story are initially disgusted by the "bestial" men who symbolize the primordial and sexual aspects of human nature, the women must see beyond the outward appearance of men to experience and accept the joy of a sexual relationship and reach the sexual maturity. In every story the form that man takes influences the meaning of the story. The most profound of these is present in "The Frog King", the phallic nature of the frog and the princess's refusal to allow it into her bed have led literary critics to believe that its meaning is sexually symbolic. The frog transforming into a prince symbolizes the transformation of a virgin's perception of sex from something disgusting to something accepting (Heuscher, 1974). The symbolism of the golden ball that the princess plays with further supports this interpretation, as the golden ball symbolizes the princess's virginity and naivety and foreshadows her violent rejection of him later in the story (Talairach-Vielmas, 2012, 288). . The significance of her refusal symbolizes the fear and disgust women feel at their first sexual encounter and warns that men should not force women to share their bed until they are willing to accept them. It is only after the frog transforms into a prince that the couple finds marital happiness. This meaning is markedly different from that of "The Pig King" as the heroine of the story is the woman who accepts the bestial nature of her partner and his reluctant sisters. they are victims of the beast. The sisters' violent reaction to their disgusting groom and reluctance to consummate their marriage are punished, while the younger sister's compliant nature and acceptance of the pig result in a happy marriage. It is only after the girl gives herself to the pig that he transforms into a prince. Therefore the meaning that the text suggests is that women must be willing to tolerate their partner's sexual advances in order to find happiness. Finally, “Beauty and the Beast” is the most tender story when it comes to sexuality. Although the beast is symbolically the most physically aggressive suitor in these tales, in reality he is the most patient of the animal grooms and the least willing to impose himself on his mate. The physical form of the beast is symbolic of the “violence of male sexuality” that women must learn to accept in order to live in harmony with their partners (Talairach-Vielmas, 2012, 275). Furthermore, the appearance of the beast is the strongest sexual metaphor and its transformation represents the sexual maturation of Beauty, who instead of seeing a monster in her partner sees something beautiful (Talairach-Vielmas, 2012, 272). The meaning of the text suggests that marital happiness is achieved through patience on the part of the man and the willingness to wait for thepartner accepts their sexual nature, the beast understands how he appears to Beauty and instead of imposing on her he is chivalrous. and instead waits for her to accept it. This suggests that women are happier in tender marriages and that the strongest unions are those in which the woman chooses to take the man. LOVE, MARRIAGE AND CLASS Each story involves an arranged marriage which results in the happiness of the participants. In each story the arranged marriage is not successful until the characters accept each other, reinforcing the idea that marriage depends on love and that without love a marriage will not last (Tatar, 1999, 28). In this sense, class is also an important driving force in these stories, the class of the participants influences the dynamics of their relationships and the overall meaning that the story presents. The reasons for marriage in “The Pig King” each influence the outcome of the marriage. At the time, the older sisters married the pig for money and status rather than love which, despite being common for the time, the marriages failed as a result. The maiden who sincerely married the pig was ultimately the successful bride, suggesting that money and status are poor reasons for marrying. The girl's class was also important in determining her marital success, the three girls were marrying a class and had to act accordingly, the youngest girl who behaved with humility and who graciously accepted his blessing for being chosen survived the his arranged marriage. this is the case of “The Frog King” which features a princess born into the aristocracy who acts immorally without punishment. Where the sisters in “The Pig King” acted violently towards a member of an upper class and were punished, the princess in “The Frog King” is rewarded for her violent actions towards an “inferior” creature. The meaning here seems to suggest that it is essential to act according to one's class and that marriage alone cannot alter the class into which someone is born. It is only after the frog becomes a "prince" and compliments the princess's social position that the marriage begins to work effectively and the two become equals. Class is always present in "Beauty and the Beast" and it is Beauty's acceptance of her class. position that guarantees her happiness. While her sisters act snobbishly despite their weak class position and refuse to marry anyone beneath them, Bella acts virtuously and is the epitome of a good gentlewoman of the time. Indeed, in each story the sisters are presented as the antithesis of the main character, while their misbehaving sisters are punished, the girls are loved and rewarded for their sincerity (Carter, 1991, 128). Beauty is rewarded for her class awareness and her adaptability in accepting an arranged marriage when she is poor for the sake of her family. The willingness of the women in these stories to adhere to their parents' wishes and accept an arranged marriage reflects the social practices of the time, but the meaning of each text seems to suggest that cross-class marriages will not work without mutual love and conformity of social classes. the lower class participant (Tatar, 1999, 27). HONESTY, PATIENCE AND COMPROMISE Outside of these factors, each tale has its own unique overall meaning that is transformed by each retelling, despite many similarities between the texts, the nuances of each tale distinguish it from the pack of animal spouse tales. The message or meaning of each text refers to the factors that determine a happy marriage and the happiness of the characters. The meaning of “The King.