What Is The Theme Of Buttercup In Beauty And The Beast Theme

Suddenly, the trumpets are interrupted by the discordant boos of a wizened hag. This hag plays into the stereotypical trope of being filthy and unkempt: she has discolored teeth, a large mole, and tattered grey hair and clothes which contrast sharply against Buttercup’s immaculate appearance. However, as with the traditional hags in fairy tales, her age has conferred on her a sense of wisdom and knowledge evidenced when she chastises Buttercup for giving up on love. Her unpolished appearance is ironic because she calls Buttercup â€Å"the queen of slime and filth,† yet she is the one with a grubby appearance. This draws parallels to the hag in Beauty and the Beast who curses the prince for being vain and heartless underneath his good looks just†¦show more content†¦Because of the reflexivity, we get a shot of a disgruntled Buttercup scurrying down a hallway matched up with the playful banter between the grandfather and grandson in voice-over that keeps the mood lighthearted in spite of Buttercup’s distress. As Buttercup enters Humperdinck’s quarters, the mise-en-scà ©ne again reveals a caricaturized portrayal of fairy tales, this time in depicting Humperdinck’s malicious nature. As Humperdinck perches on the chair behind his desk, his costuming and the dà ©cor of the room make his sinisterness clear: he is outfitted in dark colors that coincide with the heavy velvet curtains and mahogany wood of his furniture. A deep focus shot reveals the stereotypical outfitting of the room: a sword, cross bow, and axe are all visible in the background hinting at his sadistic nature. All of this is contrasted against the innocent portrayal of Buttercup, as their conversation occurs as a series of alternating close-ups between their faces. Buttercup is again clothed in white, this time accentuated with light blue and, as always, she has cerulean eyes and ethereal blonde hair. Humperdinck, on the other hand, looks sleazy in comparison, with his carefully styled brunet hair and ochre eyes . This scene is just one of many which utilizes the mise-en-scà ©ne to highlight the contrast between good and evil, and even though this disparity is overstated, it doesn’t distract from the value of the fairy tale’s morals.