"Beauty and the Beast’" once again lit the cinemas and children’s imagination. This 1991 Disney animated film was brought to life by Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in a 2017 live-action rendition. But did you know that the real couple behind this Disney classic did not have a happy ending?
The real-life ‘Beast’ is none other than Pedro Gonzales of Spain. He was born in Tenerife, Spain in 1537. Pedro was tagged as a ‘wildman’ because he was not born normal. He had this condition of having too much hair all over his body, making people consider him as a ‘Beast’. They thought that he was indeed a half-man and half-animal.
Pedro was asked to present himself in the coronation of King Henry II in France. He was placed inside a cage for the people to see. Experts during the 16th middle century found out that he was not a ‘wildman’. He was just an ordinary 10-year-old boy who was suffering from ‘werewolf condition’ or what is known today as congenital hypertrichosis. Pedro’s case was the first to be reported in the Middle Ages.
Upon learning that Pedro is indeed a normal being with some deformities, the royal castle decided to perform an experiment on him. He was given proper education as a nobleman. He amazed everybody because he is a fast-learner who mastered three languages quickly. He continued to impress the castle with his intelligence. Because of this, he was allowed to acquire a court position.
When King Henry died in 1559, his wife, Catherine of Medici took in-charge of Pedro. She wanted to produce more people who are as extraordinary as Pedro. As a solution, she asked the daughter of the court’s servant, also named Catherine, to be his wife. Their wedding was arranged and it was successful.
The Queen’s doctors observed Pedro and Catherine’s first night together. They wanted to see if the ‘Beast’ will turn into a frightening creature during sexual intercourse and if ‘Beauty’ could handle it. Everybody was surprised when Catherine fell in love with Pedro despite his condition. They, later on, had two children. However, the Queen was not happy about it because the first two children are as normal like their mother. The succeeding 5 other children inherited their father’s werewolf syndrome.
Because of this, their family became widely known across Spain. Pedro’s children who were suffering from hypertrichosis were given to rich families as gifts. One of them, Antonietta, became a plaything of the Duke’s mistress.
When the couple moved in Italy, they lived a life of peace. Pedro died in 1617 while Catherine was believed to have achieved eternal peace in 1623. However, because of his appearance, Pedro was denied sacred anointment which made him illegible to be buried on sacred grounds. It was unfortunate that his nobility and honor did not matter to grant him a proper ritual.
Do you still see ‘Beauty and the Beast’ as the same Disney story? What do you think is the reason why Disney altered its ending? Tell us your opinion in the comment section below!
Source: TNP, Elitereaders
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