She Stays Because She Wants To

I keep seeing commercials for Disney's Beauty and the Beast. They have released it in High Definition.  If I had to pick a favorite Disney movie in the classic fairy tale genre, it would most certainly be Beauty and the Beast.  I know it isn't a perfect comparison, but I see this story as something like Persephone's.  At least in the way she journey's into the realm of the beast because she has to, but she stays (or returns) because she chooses to. I know for Persephone there is the whole Pomegranate story, but I do think too much attention has been paid to the magic of the thing.  Not that the seeds somehow magnetically bind her to the underworld, but rather it symbolically binds her to Hades.  Like a wedding ring. 

I love how strong a character Belle is in the Disney version of the story. But I also love Beast and can see in him the changes that Hades himself must have experienced after he brought Persephone into his world. 

Stravinsky and Disney

When Disney Released Fantasia 2000 in Imax, I saw it several times at The Henry Ford. While it was out, I would take all my friends to see it every time they came ot visit. The production of The Firebird definitely speaks of Persephone to me. 



Enjoy!