Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)

Title of the Research

Madonna-Whore Dichotomy in the characterization of Women: A Comparative
Analysis of Sleeping Beauty (1959) & Maleficent (2014) From Post structural
feminist Lens

Supervisor
Lecturer Sumaeta Marjan
Department of English
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)
Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)

Researchers
Md. Anamul Karim – 2215301008
Md. Asif Bin Ashraf - 2215301009
Fatima Khatun Hia- 2215301014
Mumina-Tuz-Zohra- 2215301015

Department of English
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)
Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)

Date of Submission- 14thDecember 2022

1
 Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)

Title of the Research

Madonna-Whore Dichotomy in the characterization of Women: A Comparative
Analysis of Sleeping Beauty (1959) & Maleficent (2014) From Post structural
feminist Lens

Supervisor
Lecturer Sumaeta Marjan
Department of English
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)
Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)

Researchers
Md. Anamul Karim – 2215301008
Md. Asif Bin Ashraf - 2215301009
Mumina-Tuz-Zohra- 2215301015
Fatima Khatun Hia- 2215301014
Department of English
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)
Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)

Signature of the Chairman Signature of the Supervisor Signature of Students

Department of English, BUP (Lecturer Sumaeta Marjan) Department of English
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Session : 2021-2022
 Statement of the Authorship

We, Md. Anamul Karim (2215301008), Md. Asif Bin Ashraf (2210301009), Mumina-Tuz-Zohra

(2215301015) and Fatima Khatun Hia (2215301014) declare that this project and the work presented in

it are our own and had been generated by us as the result of our original research. The topic of our

research work is-

Madonna-Whore Dichotomy in the characterization of Women: A Comparative Analysis of

Sleeping Beauty (1959) & Maleficent (2014) From Post structural feminist Lens

We confirm that:

• This work was done wholly or mainly while in candidature for a research degree at this University;

• Where any part of this project has previously been submitted for a degree or any other qualification at this
University or any other institution, this has been clearly stated;

• Where we have consulted the published work of others, this is always clearly attributed;

• Where we have quoted from the work of others, the source is always given. With the exception of such quotations,
this project is entirely our own work;

• We have acknowledged all main sources of help;

• Where the project is based on work done by us jointly with others, we have made clear exactly what was done by
others and what we have contributed ourselves;

Signature: ……………………………………………………………………………….

Date: …………………………………………………………………………………..

3
 Certificate of Supervisor

We certify that the project work entitled “Madonna-Whore Dichotomy in the characterization of
Women: A Comparative Analysis of Sleeping Beauty (1959) & Maleficent (2014) From Post
structural feminist Lens”submitted for the degree of Graduation in English by Mr./MsMd. Anamul
Karim (2215301008), Md. Asif Bin Ashraf (2210301009), Mumina-Tuz-Zohra (2215301015) and
Fatima Khatun Hia (2215301014) is the record of research work carried out by them during the period
from 20th July 2022 to 14thDecember, 2022 under my guidance and supervision, and that this work has
not formed the basis for the award of any Degree, Diploma, Associateship and Fellowship or other
Titles in this University or any other University or institution of Higher Learning.

Signature of the Supervisor

Sumaeta Marjan

Lecturer

Department of English

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)

Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP)

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 Acknowledgement

First and foremost, we are extremely grateful to our supervisor, Lecturer Sumaeta Marjan for her

invaluable advice, continuous support, and patience during our research study. Her immense

knowledge and plentiful experience have encouraged us in all the time of our academic research and

daily life. We would also like to thank the Chairman of English department Associate Professor

Neelim Mohoshin Reza, Associate Prof. Dr. Fahmida Haque, for their advices and cooperation on our

study. We would like to thank all the members who were engage in project work. It is their kind help

and support that have made the study and life in BUP a wonderful time. Finally, we would like to

express my gratitude to our parents, siblings and closest one. Without their tremendous understanding

and encouragement in the past few months, it would be impossible for us to complete the study.

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 Abstract

This study attempts to present the characterization of Women in Walt Disney films ‘Sleeping

Beauty’ (1959) and ‘Maleficent’ (2014) based on Madonna-Whore Dichotomy by conducting a

comparative analysis. It is an undeniable reality that different historical eras have portrayed women in

films, literature, and society in distinct ways. The film ‘Sleeping Beauty’ (1959) is a musical fantasy

movie which shows a newborn princess is cursed by Maleficent who is represented as a demonic

character. On the other hand, Maleficent is represented as a grey character in the film ‘Maleficent’

(2014). The study portrays how a single character is adapted in two movies with same plot. This study

aims to find out the difference in presenting the female characters based on their socio-cultural

education of the society with the help of psychoanalytic theory Madonna -Whore dichotomy. Several

contemporary feminist viewpoints consider women as problematic. The idea of immunity is crucial to

feminist theory, despite the fact that it can be formulated in a feminist-specific fashion. In a position

list feminist theoretical approach, power is unique and vital. The films 'Sleeping Beauty' (1959) and

'Maleficent' (2014) serve as the primary sources for this exploratory study, while other journals,

articles, and research papers serve as secondary sources. The study will employ Freudian

psychoanalytic theory of the "Madonna-Whore dichotomy." This dichotomy polarizes women into two

categories: "good," "chaste," saintly pure Madonna or "bad," promiscuous whores. This study will

follow qualitative research method with comparative analysis of the films to present the research

discussion with the key notions of Madonna Whore Dichotomy.

Keywords: characterization, Madonna, Whore, Maleficent, Polarization etc.

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 Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1. Introduction:

Since the inception of cinema all across the world, female characters have been portrayed in a

patriarchal manner, which can be traced back to the silent era. Despite the fact that things are gradually

shifting and women are increasingly being portrayed as confident, self-sufficient, and decent human

beings, there is still a significant distance to travel in this regard. The Walt Disney film "Sleeping

Beauty," which was released in 1959, is a charming fairy tale film that is liked by the vast majority of

individuals at some time in their lives. However, when one attempts to think about this film with all of

their senses, it has the potential to appear as a problematic film, particularly in regard to the portrayal

of the women who feature in it.

The film gives the impression of being a fairly basic one, in which women are portrayed either

as pure, innocent, and angelic characters or as nasty, wretched fairies. There is no middle ground to be

found that could possibly justify the evil woman as a character. The term "Madonna-Whore

Dichotomy" (MWD) refers to the dualistic views of women as either "good," chaste, and pure

Madonnas or as "bad," promiscuous, and enticing whores. Both of these perspectives are considered to

be acceptable. The MWD, according to feminist theory, stems from a desire to strengthen patriarchy,

in contrast to prior theories, which focused on unresolved sexual complexes or evolved psychological

tendencies. The title of the film is Maleficent, and it is a reactionary film in which Maleficent is shown

as both evil and good at the same time.

It is depicted that Princess Aurora, who is born to King Stephens, will grow up to be a

charming child who will remain untouched by any evil and will be the paragon of innocence and

purity. She embodies every admirable quality that men in patriarchal societies look for in a woman.

She will only emerge from her cursed sleep and regain control of her life if a prince kisses her. This is

7
despite the fact that she has no control over her existence. The perfect woman is one who is

subservient to men, and because of this, she is a Madonna in every respect. Maleficent, on the other

hand, is portrayed as the villain because she is brash, domineering, and does not conform to the mould

of what patriarchal society considers to be the ideal woman. In Sigmund Freud's model of the

Madonna-Whore complex, she is representative of the "whore" type.

The concept of women themselves is problematic, according to a number of different

contemporary feminist views. It is a problem of the highest importance due to the fact that the idea of

immunity is essential to feminist theory, despite the fact that it has been proved that it is feasible to

formulate in a way that is distinctive to feminists. Within the framework of a position list feminist

theoretical approach, the concept of power stands out as unique and important. The implementation of

an alternate approach to the problem of abuse in intimate relationships poses a challenge to the

conventional feminist viewpoint on patriarchal hierarchical structures of power. Deconstructing

identity categories is necessary if one wishes to avoid reproducing or perpetuating hegemonic

discourses and the prevailing organisation of disciplinary authority. This can be accomplished through

avoiding the use of identity categories to categorise people.

The movie "Maleficent," which was released in 2014, is a deconstruction of "Sleeping Beauty,"

and it uses a post-structuralist feminist lens to attempt to dissolve the Madonna-Whore dichotomy. The

film is based on the same plot as "Sleeping Beauty," but it includes some new backstory that excuses

Maleficent's acts, and the moralistic aspect of her character seeks to make people sympathise with her.

The core concept of the movie is the same as "Sleeping Beauty." In addition to dispelling the notion

that Maleficent was the "whore," the film also disproves the notion that Aurora was reliant on the

prince in order to break the spell and be freed from its shackles. It is not always the case that women

are referred to as the "Madonna" or the "whore." They are able to be flawed, free from the constraints

of social gender conventions, and understood who and what they are. Maleficent, the film, might be

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seen of as a breath of fresh air for theatres that are trapped with the binary of women being portrayed

as either Madonna or whore.

1.2. Problem statement:

The problem that this study addresses lie in the characterization of women in Walt Disney

movies Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Maleficent (2014). Lives of women have not been easy from the

beginning, as their characters are constantly shaped by the patriarchal society. Women are usually

categorized into binary of being either angel (Madonna) or promiscuous (Whore). Regardless of race,

religion or cast women are shackled in this binary of good or evil. The researchers attempt to illustrate

why characters like Aurora are presented as angelic and characters like Maleficent as straight forward

evil. This study also attempts to determine the societal elements that are causing the dichotomy and the

reasons why even the most angelic individuals sometimes behave in whore-like ways. Furthermore,

this study demonstrates the conventional portrayal of women in Sleeping Beauty and deconstruction of

the binary in Maleficent.

1.3. Research Questions:

 How Madonna Whore Dichotomy of Sleeping Beauty is deconstructed in later movie

Maleficent?

 How are the female characters portrayed differently in the films Sleeping Beauty (1959) and

Maleficent (2014)?

 How are the two movies influenced by the societal thinking of their respective historical

periods?

1.4. Research Objectives:

1.4.1. General Objective:

 To find out How Madonna Whore Dichotomy of Sleeping Beauty is deconstructed in later

movie Maleficent.

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1.4.2. Specific Objectives:

 To find out the differences in presentation of the female characters in the movies Sleeping

Beauty (1959) and Maleficent (2014)?

 To investigate the societal attitude of two distinct eras that had a role in shaping the two films.

1.5. Significance of the Study:

The expected outcome or the most important point in the discussion is to effectively show the

Madonna whore dichotomy in Maleficent and Sleeping Beauty as well as how the male-dominated

society labels women via their inherent characteristics. In the Madonna Whore Dichotomy, males

categorize women into two groups: “good,” “chaste,” saintly pure Madonna’s, or “bad,”

promiscuous whores. Maleficent, a strong and independent character who is bold and powerful in

the movie Sleeping Beauty, is portrayed as a devilish figure. But Aurora, who seems weak and

needs help from everyone around her, has been presented as an angelic character. This paper will

demonstrate how Maleficent, who was once a fairy, developed her brazen personality and how the

male-dominated society contributed to it. This paper will also demonstrate how the patriarchal

system is to blame for a woman becoming a whore or even worse, as no one is born a whore;

rather, it is her surroundings that forces her to be or act like one.

1.6. Rationale of the Study:

Almost all facets of our lives are influenced by gender construction. Gender construction is a

categorization that devalues the status of women in society and is based on social and cultural

norms. As a result, they often experience oppression in patriarchal societies due to their inferior

status to males. Women also get alienated if they do not act in a manner consistent with patriarchal

beliefs. The patriarchal culture that governs and regulates women is reflected in fairytale movies,

where female protagonists or heroines are portrayed as submissive and obedient. This paper will
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 bring out the Madonna-whore dichotomy in the two movies: Maleficent (2014) and Sleeping

Beauty (1959), as well as how a society ruled by men classifies women based on their intrinsic

qualities. In the Madonna Whore Dichotomy, men divide women into two categories: good chaste

saintly pure Madonna’s and bad, promiscuous whores. Some research on feminism has been found

regarding the films Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Maleficent (2014), but it does not include the

ideological conflict regarding the portrayal of women in the same story from the different points of

view of the directors. Maleficent, a strong and independent character who is bold and powerful in

the film Sleeping Beauty, is portrayed as a demonic figure, whereas Aurora, who appears weak and

requires assistance from everyone, is portrayed as an angel. This paper will demonstrate how

Maleficent, who was once a fairy, developed her brash demeanor and how the male-dominated

society led to her transformation.

1.7. Background of the Study:

Women are the half fraction of the world population and have equal contribution in society. But

society doesn’t give them the equal rights or respect; rather their lives are shackled and shaped by

patriarchal society. Patriarchy always desires to look at women either as good or bad, thus it usually

doesn’t allow women to have gray shades in her characteristics. That’s why “Madonna-Whore

dichotomy” divides female characteristic into two mutually exclusive categories. The dichotomy

denotes Madonna as always the “embodiment of virtue”, always benevolent, passive and chaste. When

the women are able to fit in the category of ideal woman given by patriarchal society, they are

considered as Madonna or else the whore.

The 1959 Walt Disney film Sleeping Beauty perfectly fits concept of Madonna Whore dichotomy

and Maleficent (2014) tries to deconstruct the binary of this theory. Both movies represent women's

position from the Patriarch's point of view. In Sleeping Beauty, Aroura is an angelic character who has

no power, innocent and mild. But Maleficent is a bold and powerful character, who breaks Patriarchal
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definition of an ideal good woman. Maleficent made in 2014 deconstructs the conventional binary

shown in 1959 movie Sleeping Beauty. The findings of this study can redound greatly to the benefit of

literature, society and in development of relevant theories considering that Madonna-Whore dichotomy

has been relevant in the world from beginning and deconstructing these binaries can play a prominent

role to uplift women’s position. Women should not be stuck in good or evil binary and they should

also have the liberty to do have gray shades of characteristics. So, this paper seeks find out the

differences in presentation of the female characters in the movies Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent,

different attitudes and mindset of two ages and how the Sleeping Beauty is deconstructed in

Maleficent.

1.8. Conclusion:

Chapter 2

Theoretical Framework and Literature review

In this part different relevant literatures related to the research topic have been reviewed.

Different critiques criticized the Freudian psycho-sexual theory in different way. Along with that, the

gender norms and post structural feminism which are relevant to research project is discussed broadly.

Many critiques also argued on these two movies Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Maleficent (2014). The

research gap has also been described in this part.

2.1. Theoretical Framework:

This project paper is conducted focusing on the Freudian psychoanalytic theory, Madonna-

Whore dichotomy along with other relevant theories and ideas of prominent theoreticians. Two of the

famous fairy tale movies by Walt Disney; Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Maleficent (2014) are compared

on the influence of Madonna-Whore dichotomy in the characterization. The first movie Sleeping

Beauty characterizes the women in a long practiced traditional manner, based on the binary of angelic

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women or straightforward evil. But the later one Maleficent tries to deconstruct the existing superficial

binary of putting women into categories.

Sigmund Freud who is usually criticized for developing outdated and misogynistic ideas back

in 1900s identified a psychological dichotomy in the male patients known as Madonna-Whore

Complex. Freud perceived men having this complex saw women as either good, angelic saints or as

evil, promiscuous, prostitutes. The men with this complex deeply rooted with misogynistic traits never

intertwined both, as that’s how human nature is rather they confined into binaries of being whore or a

Madonna. Freud projected men’s love for the Madonna and desire for whore as he said, “Where such

men love, they have no desire and where they desire, they cannot love.”

That was how this complex was perceived to be at Freud’s time but today Madonna-Whore

dichotomy projects women existing into binary of being pure, ultimately “virginal” or sexually active

and corrupt but never both. As the paper seeks to explore, the characterization of the women of

Sleeping Beauty (1959) is a demonstration of Freud’s misogynistic psychosexual theory Madonna-

Whore dichotomy. In this movie the banished princess who had no significant role apart from

searching for her perfect “Man” and being ideal for the women accepted by patriarchy. She is literally

presented as a “gift of beauty” or as “gift of song”, delicate, constrained and loved. Aurora in the

movie in not presented as a human being, per se; she is the prize that every other character fights for.

To establish Aurora’s character as the delicate, vulnerable; ultimate passive “Damsel in Distress”, the

makers of movie projected another woman but completely opposite of what she is. Maleficent, the evil

fairy is everything the society doesn’t want to see women as. She is evil having darkness in heart,

jealous and harmful towards people for petty reasons. The Sleeping Beauty shows how women are

only good or bad and nothing in between.

Helen Cixous tries to point out the hidden misogyny in psychosexual theories like “Castration

Complex” by Freud or Lacanian theory of “ Symbolic order” while theorizing “ecriture feminine” or

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feminine writing in essay “Laugh of Medusa”. Cixous’ purpose is the liberate womankind from the

shackles of binary affirms, phallucentric language and experience of misogyny. The history of western

writing is deeply Phallucentric and Cixous wants women to revolt against those oppressive

phallucentric language and patriarchal conventions by projecting the expression of female body and

sexuality in writing. Looking into famous theories of Freud and Lacan it is apparent that those are

really driven by societal gender norms and existing gender binaries. Freud wrote an essay “Medusa’s

Head” where he puts the idea that decapitation of Medusa’s head is the symbol that manifests

castration complex in men during oedipal stage. The “absence of phallus” in the mother makes the

male child identify with the father in the fear of being castrated. Psychoanalyst Lacan adopts Freud’s

theory in the sphere of language development , according to the theory the male child rejects the

“womb world” of the mother and enters into patrilineal world systemized by order. Lacan calls it

“Symbolic Order” and the child being a member of this order the child learns spoken language of the

world and rejects the “Pre-linguistic Language” of mother. But the girl child finds similarity with

mother and accepts the language of mother which is different than the boys. Freud and Lacan both had

been influenced by “patriarchal binary thought” and Cixous adopting Derrida’s deconstruction method

rejects the male female binary.

Luce Irigaray in essay “The Sex Which is Not One” explores the sexuality of women similarly

as Helen Cixous. Irigaray also refutes the idea of Freud and Lacan who concludes female sex as “lack

of the phallus”. Throughout history the presence of phallus became the standard for masculinity.

Women as they lack this male organ have always been considered as substandard or sub-human. She

also had the similar idea as Cixous as pointed out women are constructed through” male language” and

thus considered as substandard or inferior.

The thought behind an idea like Madonna-whore dichotomy is a result of social norms which

determines the gender roles. Gender which is determined by the chosen performative acts by society is

no way a natural phenomenon. So, American philosopher and gender theorist Judith Butler in her book
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Gender Regulations defined gender as: “the mechanism by which notions of masculine and feminine

are produced and naturalized, but gender might very well be the apparatus by which such terms are

deconstructed and denaturalized” (Butler 43). From the era can be remembered in history women have

been considered as afflicted with “ natural defectiveness” , of having “lack of qualities” by towering

figures like Aristotle or “incidental being” by St. Thomas. But Simon de Beauvoire in her book The

Second Sexretaliates these ideas and says, “woman by an extension, any gender is an historical

situation rather than natural fact”. Following Beauvoire’s path Butler also identified gender as an

aberrant process and had say “gender identity is a performative accomplishment compelled by social

sanction and taboo”.

The gender norms are instilled into human beings from their birth depending on their sex. The

society determines how men and women should talk, walk, dress and even think differently. Men

should be masculine, active, rough and tough and women should be passive, submissive and delicate

always depending on the man. These norms and identities are imposed on the people of society and

when someone fails to fit into categories, they are othered, outcasted and isolated. Specially the women

has to strictly fit into the gender mould and she would be considered the “Madonna” or else she would

fall into the category of “Whore”. As the princess Aurora fulfills the expectations of societal gender

norms like being pure, delicate, submissive and passive is the Madonna and the bold, powerful, rough

Maleficent who deviates from gender role is the Whore of Sleeping Beauty.

All the theories related to the gender role points out the existing binary in it. The movie

Sleeping Beauty (1959) characterizes its women based on the binary category Madonna and Whore;

Aurora the Madonna and Maleficent-the Whore. But the 2014 Walt Disney movie Maleficent (2014)

shows how a woman can be beyond a whore or a Madonna. This movie deconstructs Freud’s

Madonna-Whore dichotomy as they portray a woman as a good being in spite of having her own flaws.

French philosopher Jacques Derrida had an aim to erase boundary between binary oppositions such as;

masculine/feminine, white/black, conscious/unconscious or women being Madonna/Whore which

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exists in Western culture. Derrida’s method of deconstructing binaries is a response to structuralism

(where structures and binaries are constant). The movie Maleficent like fresh air portrays a woman

with flaws not as saints or prostitutes. Maleficent unlike Sleeping Beauty doesn’t show the protagonist

as straightforward evil. Her evil acts are justified with back story of betrayal and also by being a soft

hearted affectionate woman towards Aurora. As post structural feminism believes there is no single

category of men and women, Maleficent gives a message that there is no single category of women

being whore or Madonna.

2.2. Reviewing Literature:

Madonna-whore complex described by Sigmund Freud has been a familiar trope in films and

literature and an appealing concept in storytelling. The women have always been the victim of the

“Madonna” and “Whore” character archetypes of women in mainstream cinema. But the blog

“Madonna and Whore in film and television” (2018) published on historica.com shows how female

traits are turned into binaries. A woman is respected and loved only when she is pure or angelic. On

the other hand, she is desirable when she is bold and crosses the line. There are always pop culture and

dramas which tries to portray these archetypes in a straightforward manner without giving deeper

sight. For example, “Cinderella”, Alicia Florrick from The Good Wife, Jane Bennet from Pride and

Prejudice are the women typically innocent and perfect women. Women who fail to carry themselves

as such are considered the whore for instance, Marvel’s Black Widow, Carsei Lennister, from Game of

Thrones, Kathryn from Cruel Intentions. But now it is the time to break this dichotomy to expose the

patriarchal lens to view women.

The 2014 Walt Disney movie “Maleficent” tries to re-imagine the eponymous villainous

character of “Sleeping Beauty” (1959). The movie projects Maleficent as a sympathetic character and

major changes are done to elevate her personality. This movie can be a considered a reinterpretation of

Sleeping Beauty, and responds to the Madonna-whore dichotomy of the movie. The fairy tale movie

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Sleeping Beauty is based on the binary of women meaning Madonna or Whore. Princess Aurora who

is cursed by Maleficent is sweet, innocent, delicate and pure. Whereas, Maleficent is the witch, evil

and villain who goes on cursing babies for not being invited in Christening. Kay Mcguire in her article

“Maleficent: How the Live-Action Evil Queen is Different to the Animation”(2020) calls out how the

makers of Maleficent breaks the dichotomy and portrays her as a layered character. Maleficent is

presented as a Dark fairy whose actions are justified with an intriguing back story.

There is more research with a similar topic to this one. The thesis of SyarifHidayat Allah

University student Dewey Hajarsari is titled "Analyzing the Female in Maleficent (2014) Films from

an Ecofeminism Perspective." It demonstrates (1) how the male characters in Maleficent are portrayed

and how she characterizes them. How does the film Maleficent's main character Maleficent reflect

ecological feminism? In this study, she employs ecological feminist theory to examine her thesis and

descriptive methods to discover Maleficent's character. In this work, environmental feminism theory is

used to critique her thesis, and descriptive methods are employed to analyze and identify "pernicious"

qualities. The findings indicate that environmental feminism is one of nature's beliefs and theories

about women in "Maleficent" that can better explain the oppression of men's conduct.

Aenun Nahdiyati, a student at the University of Syarif Hidayatullah in Jakarta, with her thesis

entitled "An Analysis of the Liberal Feminist Values of the Main Character in "Miss Potter." The

purpose of this study is to investigate the concept of liberal feminism as expressed via the films that

appeared in "Miss Porter." This study employs qualitative descriptive analytical techniques to examine

the connection between the film's main characters and liberal feminist values. The author searches for

and collects references for a variety of sources, including books, films, essays, and periodicals. As a

result of the investigation, it was determined that the primary character traits that embody the ideas of

liberal feminism embrace a dualistic lifestyle.

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 Rahma AyuDwi Jayanti, a student at STAIN Tulungagung, on her thesis titled "An Analysis of

Feminism Depicted In The Main Character, Elizabeth Bennet, In Pride And Prejudice" The objective

of this research is to describe Elizabeth Bennet's character as depicted in Pride and Prejudice by Jane

Austen, as well as to disclose the feminism portrayed via Elizabeth Bennet. In order to answer all of

the questions presented in the inquiry, the author has undertaken a library search before to creating this

essay. The article draws from two sources. The novel's primary inspiration is "Pride and Prejudice."

The majority of the knowledge comes from publications on the theory, while the remainder comes

from the Internet. The following were the findings of the research based on the analysis: In the novel,

Elizabeth is portrayed as educated and courageous, with a keen and independent tongue, and as a

family-oriented individual. Second, through Elizabeth's persona, feminism may be portrayed

effectively. Elizabeth exemplifies the Marxist feminist movement, which depicts women's issues

within the context of capitalism. During the time period of "Pride and Prejudice," Jane has the

intelligence, fortitude, and independence to alter society's image of the role of women in the family and

the concept of marriage under capitalism.

The cultural-ideological foundation of the "Cult of True Womanhood" and the "Victorian

Lady" is said to be rooted in the Judeo-Christian heritage, according to Robert L. Daniel in American

Women in the 20th Century: The Festival of Life (1987), which obviously involves the roots and

background of the counterpart: the fallen woman, the femme fatale, or the even-later-developed term

for this sort of woman: the vamp.

The dark lady, the spider woman, the devilish seductress who tempts man and causes his

destruction is among the oldest themes of art, literature, mythology, and religion in Western culture,

according to Janey Place. She discussit inWomen in Film Noir(1996). She also notes that the

archetypal violent woman has long enjoyed a central place in the Judeo-Christian heritage (1996: 35).

18
Clarice Feinman also stressed in Women in the Criminal Justice System(1994) the Madonna-whore

dichotomy's strong cultural roots and paid attention to the patriarchal logic that gave rise to these

categories as well as the men who identified as "protectors of the Madonna and punishers of the

Whore" in line with their own interests (1994: 3–4). Although there are some exceptional exceptions,

and their number is growing, Hollywood generally still chooses to stick onto its virgin-whore

dichotomy with its post-Production-Code leftovers and much-loved melodramatic clichés.

Do Rozario entitled thesis ‘The princess and the magic kingdom:.Beyondnostalgia,the function

of the Disney princess’. Here he claims that the "Team Disney Princesses" evolved into sportswomen

(2004: 46). While incorporating "heroism, egalitarianism, and autonomy" into their princesshood

(2004: 47). Whereas in the past, femme fatale characters were the ones who disrupted the patriarchy,

The Disney Princess herself, or rather the Disney Heroine, alters and reconquests or, as Do Rozario

points out, makes the kingdom a livable place by being "progressively proactive" (2004: 57) while

daring to learn the "dirty dance" and investigate what is "beyond the father's rule,"(2004: 50–51). They

make decisions for themselves in life that frequently affect other people, even an entire kingdom, yet

they consistently show themselves to be intelligent and good rulers who make decisions that are good,

frequently better, than their fathers.

Simone de Beauvoir thesis “Pourquoi je suis Feministe”. The basic assumption of feminism is

as stated by Simone de Beauvoir, “One is not borne, but rather, becomes a woman. It is civilization as

a whole that creates this creature”. The Second Sex discuss and argue about women being othered. She

outlines how male view women as the “other”, treating them as subordinate and subhuman or as

objects to own and devour by destroying them. As a result, men remain alone in their masculinity as

the purest form of humanity (De Beauvoir, 1949, p. 171)

Mulvey paper titled“Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema ".Here dispute the first two of these

so-called "Scopophilias" to be depicted in a cinematic event featuring or viewing a woman

19
communicate a sexual instinct by employing another person as an erotic object for sexual stimulation. (

Mulvey,1975, p. 61):By studying and demystifying the female to be balanced with devaluation and

punishment or by saving her—the guilty object—through voyeurism as a sadistic reenactment, or by

using the second method to escape from one's own complex, which is fetishism (Mulvey, 1975, p. 64).

The overpriced item, the ideal product, and the cult of its physical beauty have a comforting and

fulfilling impact instead of being harmful (like castration) (Mulvey, 1975, p. 64)

Campbell in “The Hero with a Thousand Faces(3rd ed.)”,discuss that the ego must be

completely abandoned in order to rely on the father's mercy or the protection of the female figure, only

to discover that the father and mother are ultimately one and the same, reflecting one another

(Campbell,1949a, p. 110). However, the resultant unification to a reconciled oneness is still thwarted

because Aurora has just left Maleficent and is now working entirely by herself (thanks to Stefan). This

process of evolving through her independent action, which is metaphorically equated with entering the

domain of the father (Campbell, 1949a, p. 115), is actually taking place here.

David, S. (2020) in Deconstructing Gender Roles in Disney's "Maleficent"explored Maleficent

as a feminist re-visioning of Sleeping Beauty. The researcher demonstrated in her research how the

portrayal of Maleficent in the film "Maleficent" disrupts the pre-existing binary distinctions because

she is both innocent and guilty. In order to challenge gender roles and patriarchal conventions in

Maleficent, the researcher used Adrienne Rich's notion of re-vision. The researcher also demonstrated

another component of re-visioning using Butler's concept of gender performativity. Butler claims that

the gendered stylization of the body is a persistent process that "manufactures gender." Princesses are

portrayed in fairy tales as passive objects, but princes are portrayed as warriors who engage in combat

to win the princess's affection. In this study, the researcher attempted to demonstrate how girls and

women are treated as inferior and passive through the deconstruction of gender roles, patriarchal

norms, myths, and fairy tales. The researcher recommended that literature and film be able to portray

women as strong, empowered, and courageous.

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 Asadullah, M., & Nisar, N. (2020) in Gender Stereotypes in Walter Elias Disney’s Animated

Film “Sleeping Beauty” analysed how the producer of the movie presented women as weak, shy,

delicate, dependent indecisive and incompetent. According to the researchers, Sleeping Beauty

portrays women as passive, helpless beings who simply wait for life and fate to happen to them. The

way Walt Disney portrayed women in his animated films was critiqued for being so docile. The

researchers discovered that women are not treated as human beings but rather as sex partners and

contributing members of society in Walt Disney's films. They experience patriarchal oppression,

gender-based prejudice, and many forms of exploitation. They are also portrayed in the movies as

being weak, incapable, bashful, dreamy, timid, and fragile.

2.3. Research Gap:

Sleeping Beauty (1959) is one of the most watched and distinguished fairy tale movies and

Maleficent (2014) which is a response to this movie has a notable place in audience’s hearts. These

two movies are slightly becoming a point of interest for movie, critiques, scholars and researchers for

their exclusive appearance. So, there has been some feminism-related study on the movies "Sleeping

Beauty" (1959) and "Maleficent" (2014), but these studies do not discuss the ideological debate about

how differently the directors’ portrayed women in the same plot. No studies have been conducted

specifically on the Madonna Whore Dichotomy in the two Walt Disney films, "Sleeping Beauty"

(1959), and "Maleficent" (2014). No researcher conducted a study on how Sleeping Beauty projected

the faulty Madonna-Whore dichotomy by portraying Aurora as a submissive, voiceless but angelic

character. On the other hand, Maleficent portrayed as bold, evil, promiscuous and devoid of social

rules. So, this research paper attempts to explore the effort of Maleficent (2014) which rejects the

binary of good and evil and conducts a post structural feminist study. Thus, this research is unique in

its field.

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 Chapter 3

Methodology

3.1. Prelude:

This research paper will be done in qualitative method based on context analysis approach.

Primary sources for this paper are the two Walt Disney movies Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Maleficent

(2014). An analysis and experimentation would be given much importance for deeper insight.

Secondary sources collected from different journals, internet archives, blogs and articles etc. This

research is explanatory and is going to explain the causes and effects. Logical arguments, related

theories and concepts are used as instruments. Content analysis method is adopted for

conducting this research.

3.2. Research Nature:

The nature of this research is “Exploratory”. This is conducted to investigate a phenomenon which had

not been studied before or not explained in a proper manner previously. This research project is

conducted on the comparative study of female characters in two different movies respectively Sleeping

Beauty (1959) and Maleficent (2014) by Walt Disney from the perspective of post structural feminist

lens theory. With the help of a general idea of separate theories Post structuralism and feminism, the

research is used as a tool to get some newer knowledge and guide the readers. To conduct this research

the ideals of French philosopher prominent post structural theoretician Judith butler and Luce Iregaray

have been followed. The goal of this research is to find the answers of the queries why and what by

establishing the “cause and effect” relationship. All these queries are answered in an explanatory

manner within a comparative framework of the two movies and help to acknowledge the presence of

Post structural feminism in them. The main intention of this paper is to provide detailed information

which is relevant to the topic and can enrich the knowledge of the readers by explaining post-structural

22
feminist theory and its relevance in women’s lives to break down the dichotomy of Madonna-Whore in

society.

4.3. Data Sources:

Two types of data are included in this paper: Primary data and secondary data. Primary data are

the basic data which are collected from the main text. The secondary data which are mainly the helping

data are collected from different types of journals, articles, websites, and newspaper.

4.3.1. Primary Data Sources:

Primary data are raw in nature. They are the main texts relevant in the research. Sleeping

Beauty (1959) and Maleficent (2014) by Walt Disney are primary sources for this study. There are also

other primary sources used in this study. They are- The Beginning Theory by Peter Barry, Sapiens: A

Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, God Gives, Contemporary Literary and Cultural

Theory from Structuralism to Ecocriticism by Pramod K Nayar etc.

4.3.2. Secondary Data Sources:

Secondary sources are the sources of data that helps to construct primary data more effectively.

Mainly, the secondary sources come from primary sources which includes the observation and thinking

of the researchers. Different types of articles, magazines, journals, web sites are included as the

secondary sources.

4.4. Conclusion:

The most essential element of any research is its data. Primary and secondary data helps to

construct successful research paper. In the study, primary sources are raw texts of the discussion topic

and additional books that has been used for theoretical purpose and to collect other information which

are interrelated with the study. Secondary sources are mainly the ideas which a researcher gives. To

23
make the study much constructive and effective, secondary sources creates justification, comparison,

and contrast to justify or to find out the result of the study.

Chapter 5

5.1 Contextual Prospect of Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent

5.1.1 Sleeping Beauty (1959)

In a distant kingdom, King Stefan and Queen Isabella anxiously desire a child, and their dream

is rewarded with the birth of Princess Aurora. At a banquet held solely for the purpose of announcing

Aurora's engagement to Prince Phillip, the young son of the neighbouring King Hubert, they proclaim

her engagement. According to them, “Our children will marry our kingdoms unite”(Sleeping Beauty

40:53. The three kingdom fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, make an appearance at the

celebration and instantly begin giving the newborn with extraordinary gifts of beauty and harmony.

Then, Maleficent, the evil queen, takes offence at being left off the guest list and pronounces a curse

on Aurora, claiming that she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel spindle and die on or before

Aurora's sixteenth birthday, whichever comes first. Then, Maleficent goes. Aurora is placed under a

curse that will not be removed until she is restored by the kiss of true love after Maleficent is vanished

in a fire. Merryweather, who is incapable of committing any wrongdoing, is exerting every effort to

overcome the curse. However, Stefan's anxiousness does not diminish, so he vows to eliminate all

spindles from his universe. The fairies devise a scheme to protect Aurora from him by posing as

peasant ladies who live in the woods and are rearing a kid they discovered.

Although it tears both the king and queen's hearts to ponder the potential of losing their child,

they resolve to work together to increase their chances of rescuing her. Maleficent continues her futile

hunt for the girl until Aurora reaches the age of sixteen, at which point she dispatches her devoted

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raven to find her. Maleficent's hunt finally proves futile. Aurora, who was reared in the woods under

the alias "Briar Rose" without knowledge of her family background, has a tremendous desire to learn

more about the outside world. The fairies exert great effort to create a dress and a cake without using

magic, as they have done for the last sixteen years to avoid alerting Maleficent, and they throw a

wonderful birthday party for their leader. In the meanwhile, Aurora travels alone into the woods and

sings to the animals about her desire to find someone who loves her honestly. Phillip is intrigued by

the hypnotic beauty of her voice, and he approaches her. Aurora enables Phillip to lead her in a dance

when the animals are attracted to him because of his attractiveness. She is swept off her feet by Phillip.

She is stunned, but their instantaneous love prevents her from exiting the situation. Instead, she quietly

extends an invitation to her cottage for the evening of the same day. After noticing the poor state of the

handcrafted birthday presents, Merryweather attempts to persuade the others to use their wands at least

once. When Merryweather and Flora debate about what colour dress to wear, their opposing charms

throw fairy dust down the chimney, where Maleficent's raven waits. Even if all the doors and windows

are sealed to prevent the magic from escaping, the magic still escapes when Merryweather and Flora

quarrel about which dress colour to wear. The fairies inform Aurora that she is the princess and that

she must return to the palace at the age of sixteen with a new love. Aurora is devastated by the loss of

her boyfriend, whose name she cannot recall, but she is eager to meet her biological parents. The two

monarchs raise a glass to welcome Aurora's safe return to the kingdom, until Phillip enters the room

and explains to his father that he has fallen in love with a peasant girl. The two kings continue to raise

a toast to Aurora's safe return to the kingdom. Aurora is abducted by the fairies and transported to the

castle's tower as Hubert frets over how to alert Stefan. Maleficent is warned by her raven before

transforming into a disc of light to entice Aurora to prick her finger on a poisoned spindle. When the

fairies learn about her, they put the entire kingdom to sleep since they anticipate that her death would

eventually bring the nation to its knees. Everyone has fallen asleep except for Phillip, who has gone to

the wooded cabin. He is the last person awake. Maleficent, on the other hand, kidnaps him and

25
celebrates her win over him with a dance party as she and her minions hold him imprisoned in her

dungeon. In order to save Phillip and equip him with the magical shield of virtue and sword of truth,

the fairies shrank to an infinitesimal size and entered the prison, putting their own lives at risk. With

the aid of the fairies, Phillip is able to repel the bandits and flee on his horse Sampson, while the raven

warns Maleficent. The name of Phillip's horse is Sampson. Phillip is unable to enter the castle due to a

combination of Maleficent's lightning bolts and a thorn-growing curse. While the guy attempts to hack

his way through the underbrush, the sorceress changes into a gigantic dragon by invoking "all the

forces of hell" and sets fire to the underbrush. Despite the fact that Phillip's shield is capable of

effectively deflecting the arrows, he abandons it after being startled by her breath. The fairies make a

last-ditch effort to enchant Phillip's sword by chanting, “Oh blade of truth, fly quick and sure, that evil

die and good thrive” (Sleeping Beauty 1:8:34)” Phillip then thrusts the sword into Maleficent's heart,

and she disintegrates into smoke. When Phillip wakes Aurora with a kiss of pure love, the spells put

over the kingdom are immediately broken. As their daughter enters the royal chamber, Hubert is

surprised by Stefan and his queen's passionate greeting. Stefan and his queen are ecstatic to be reunited

with their daughter. While Aurora and Phillip dance freely and oblivious to their guests, Flora and

Merryweather argue over the appropriateness of Aurora's dress. They alternate between the hues of

blue and pink.

5.1.2. Maleficent (2014)

Maleficent's story in the film begins when she is a little girl. Her home, a castle, is vibrant and

lovely. Maleficent discovers a farm boy one day who has been stealing valuable Jewels from their

property. The farm boy was afraid of her, but she reassured him that he was safe as she would bring no

harm to him. When Maleficent first met a human, he was a young farm lad. Maleficent and Stephan,

the farm kid, quickly made friends. With the passing of the years, their relationship deepened, and on

Maleficent's sixteenth birthday, Stefan kissed her, proclaiming it to be the kiss of real love. As more

time passed, the human king plotted an assault against the Moors. They defeated and forced the King's
26
army to withdraw, therefore wounding the King in the process. The dying monarch announced to his

citizens that whoever defeats and kills the mighty fairy Maleficent would become king of the kingdom.

Stephan, who had been impoverished his whole life, heard this and went to meet Maleficent for

the very first time in years. When he came, he was cordially received by Maleficent, and they started to

have a conversation. He suddenly poisoned Maleficent, nearly killing her. Finally experiencing

emotion, he was unable to murder her and instead cut off her wings to present to the King. She

awakens that morning with excruciating back pain, screaming and wailing in agony. The hardest hurt

of all, though, was the pain of the guy she had loved betraying her. The once-beautiful Moors quickly

turned dark and dismal, representing Maleficent's feelings externally. Due to the loss of her wings, she

found a raven and transformed it into a man in order to get an aerial perspective. This bird was named

Diablo, and he became the servant of Maleficent. After some time, the news spread that King Stephan

was expecting a child and would have a ceremony. Despite not being invited, Maleficent attended the

wedding. Maleficent stopped the bestowing of blessings on the infant. She inquired as to what he had

done to her and why he had done it. Instead of answering these questions, King Stephan banished

Maleficent. Before leaving the ceremony, she placed a curse on the infant, whose name was Aurora.

The curse said that on Aurora's sixteenth birthday, she would prick her finger on a spinning wheel and

slip into a death-like slumber, which could only be broken by a kiss from her true love. She placed the

curse like this because “true love does not exist”(Maleficent 34:56). That night, King Stefan outlawed

all spinning wheels. The spinning wheels were placed in the castle's darkest dungeon to safeguard

Aurora. He then sent Aurora to the Moors, where he had grown up, to live with three pixies. They were

to nurture Aurora till she became 16 years old. These pixies, who lived in a little house, shielded

Aurora from Maleficent by disguising themselves as humans. Aurora was growing up with beauty and

grace as the time passes: “The seasons changed, flower grew, so did she” (Maleficent 42:58).

Meanwhile, Maleficent always watches over Aurora and protects her. A day, while playing in the

Moors, Aurora almost slips over a cliff. She is rescued by Maleficent and taken to her castle. Aurora

27
informs Maleficent that she knew that she was always keeping her safe and looking over her and that

was later acknowledged by Aurora, “Your shadow have been following me”(Maleficent 49:40).

Maleficent returns Aurora, but brings her back to her castle. She feels horrible about placing the curse

on this kid and she tries to remove the curse but fails.

Aurora is nearly 16 as time passes. Aurora requests Maleficent to allow her to live with her

when she is old enough. After explaining what had transpired to the pixies, they decided to inform

Aurora what the wicked fairy had done to her in the past. She quickly visits her father at the castle.

Upon spotting her, Stephan prevents her from touching a spinning wheel by locking her away.

Eventually, Aurora discovers a secret entrance and is taken to the dungeon by voices in her

thoughts.The voices tell her to go toward the spinning wheels, which she eventually does. She falls

asleep after pricking her finger on the needle of the spinning wheel. Hearing this Maleficent goes in

search of the prince that Aurora adores; nevertheless, Aurora's kiss on the prince has no effect. With a

heart break Maleficent with her servant Diablo enter into the room where Aurora is sleeping eternally.

Maleficent starts to weep and after some time she kisses Aurora on her forehead. Aurora instantly

awoke from her profound sleep. Together, they attempt to flee the castle, but Maleficent is imprisoned

by a falling iron cage. Aurora enters a nearby house and discovers a box containing Maleficent's wings.

She turns the box over, and the wings take flight in search of Maleficent. Maleficent manages to

escape the bonds, and the wings attach themselves to her. They beat the king's troops during a huge

fight. The king fails in his last effort to slay Maleficent and dies as a result. Aurora is proclaimed

as queen, she and Maleficent unite the two realms, the Moors regain their beauty, and everyone live

happily ever after.

5.2. Characterization: Presence of “Madonna-Whore Dichotomy” in Sleeping Beauty

Characters are the essence of movies, like any other fictional literary pieces. The characters

help audience to go through the plot, the ups and downs of life or engage into the psychological

journey. According to writer James Scott Bell, “Here is one simple rule to remember: Characters carry

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theme.” So, the filmmakers put their heart and soul to build up the characters, especially the lead ones

to make the movies look appealing and beautiful. American screenwriter, mostly known for Oscar

nominated script, for 2013 film Dallas Buyers Club had the same opinion and in an interview said,

“It’s the characters. That’s what I spend most of my time with. Once I’ve done that, character will

speak to plot and story. There have been many times in spite of the plot of a movie being bad, the

characters and characterization of any particular character made the movie look attractive to the

audience and even praised by critiques. Most of the time story writers and movie directors mould the

characters from his/her own ideological perspective or philosophical values to pass it on to audience.

In this process, characters sometimes become good examples for the society and sometimes appear as

faulty. When a writer creates a female a character many factors like personal, social and ideological,

such as; how they are treated and perspective of world towards them becomes prominent. So, this

paper tends to explore the impact of “Madonna-Whore dichotomy” in characterization of the women in

movies The Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Maleficent (2014).

The world we live in are constructed of both men and women, and they both have equal

contribution as human beings to the world. But, unfortunately the gender binary always keeps the men

upwards and the women downwards. As Simon De Beauvoir showed how in the patriarchal society

men occupy the position of “self” (subject) and women are treated as the “other” (object). The society

controlled by men shapes women’s lives and categorize them into the binary of “Madonna Vs Whore”.

Sigmund Freud in 19th century first traced this psychological complex “Madonna-Whore Complex” in

his male Patients. This psychological complex is said to develop in men who see women as either

saintly Madonnas or debased prostitutes. According to Freud, “Where such men love they have no

desire and where they desire they cannot love” (Freud, 46). As shown in the Maleficent (2014) movie

where King Stefan desired or lust Maleficent but didn’t love her. That’s why, when King Henry

asked for avenge, he didn’t hesitate to cut her wings. He used Maleficent for his gains and married

someone else. This complex often perpetuates males which places women into two categories the

29
“Madonna, “ a woman who is pure, virtuous, and nurturing, or a “Whore,” a woman who is deemed as

overly sexual, manipulating, and promiscuous. The dichotomy of MWC creates a rigidity that limits

women’s sexual expression, agency, and freedom by defining their sexuality into one of two

categories. Every society around this world limits the women into these two categories. The society

created and approve of some ideal behavior for women, such as; women have to be kind,

compassionate, delicate, obedient and submissive nurturers. If any woman deviates from these values

she is not accepted by the society rather out casted and labeled as evil, promiscuous and destructive. In

the 1959 Walt Disney movie Sleeping Beauty’s women characters are projected following this age old,

outdated and misogynistic “Madonna-Whore dichotomy”.

5.2.1. Aurora as the “Madonna”:

Sleeping Beauty (1959) directed by Clyde Geronimi is possibly one of the most artistically

impressive and utterly gorgeous animated films ever made, because it was so incredibly aesthetically

in harmony with itself and with its subject matter. But in spite of its creative mastery the movie depicts

the stereotype of a passive and obedient woman, the socially approved Madonna. The women who

fulfill the society’s expectations of an ideal woman and adored by patriarchal society are usually the

heroines of Walt Disney movie. Sleeping Beauty’s Princess Aurora is not any exception. Although, the

female characters in the film is portrayed very skillfully, but there clearly exist misogynistic and

gender stereotypical attitude of the makers toward women. The portrayal of Both Aurora-the princes

and Maleficent-the witch is top notch and made a special place in people’s hearts since 1959. But it

also propagates the misogynistic polarized binary of Madonna Vs Whore, where Aurora is the ideal

“Madonna” and Maleficent is the deviated “Whore”. The characterization of the female characters of

the movie is trapped in the conventional gender identity of women.

Princess Aurora is the protagonist of Sleeping Beauty (1959) who filled the lives of her Royal

parents. She was named after the “goddess of dawn”. She was the fiancée of her prince Philip from her

30
infancy and ultimately became love of his life. She had every trait to be loved by her parents, lover and

society. Sleeping Beauty is barely something more than a cipher. Princess Aurora has virtually no

character at all in the film other than to be an ideal lady. An ideal which is only achieved with

the magical fairytale, equivalent of surgical enhancement. On her christening assemblage she got

the “gift of beauty” from Fairy Flora and the “gift of song” from Fairy Fauna. They didn’t care to

give her the “gift of intelligence” or the “gift of archery,” or other bold and self sufficient skills.

Because, an ideal woman is not supposed to be strong and independent, from the viewpoint of the

makers of Sleeping Beauty. She is the Madonna or the virgin of the movie who is pure, kind, delicate,

obedient and submissive towards the patriarchy. Who doesn’t deviate from the socially accepted

norms of the society and never takes any bold step unlike the Maleficent.

She fulfills every category as a woman which makes her the Madonna of the movie. Aurora in

the film is not a person, per se; she is the prize that the other characters fight over from king Stephan

to Prince Philip or from Three fairies to witch Maleficent. Princess Aurora never grows as a

character during the course of the film. She has no agency at all, ever over herself. She doesn’t act

rather she is acted upon. She is kind of a property to her father and then handed over to Prince Philip

after he saved her. She also didn’t have the right to choose her own life partner. She was in the forest

singing the “song of dreams” to her friend animals and birds. There she met a boy who was actually

Prince Philip and fell in love with each other. But, the fairies Flora, Fauna and Merryweather not

knowing that the boy was the prince denied the love and forbidden to meet him again. Flora said,

“Tonight we are taking you back to your father King Stefan” (Sleeping Beauty, 39:5) and also ordered

her “You must never see that young man again” (Sleeping Beauty, 39:15). Because her father King

Philip along with King Hubert betrothed at her birth and was waiting her to come back at her sixteenth

birthday. For her father she was deal for the kingdom and said to Hubert, “Our children will marry our

kingdoms unite” (Sleeping Beauty, 40:53).

31
 Aurora is portrayed as so submissive and obedient that she didn’t even retaliate to get her love.

Flora is going to take her to palace as there is determined “A crown to wear in grace and beauty, as is

thy right and royal duty” (Sleeping Beauty, 48:53). In the castle she gets injured by the spindle of

spinning wheel and falls into deep sleep forever according to Maleficent’s curse. She has no agency

over herself and unable to save own life. Rather like every typical patriarchal expectation she is saved

by her man Philip, the Prince. He overcomes the challenges of Maleficent, “Now shall you deal with

me, O prince and all the powers of hell!” (Sleeping Beauty, 1:09: 04) and defeats her. He awakens her

from deep sleep by kissing her and wins her forever. So, the sweet, delicate, loved princess Aurora is

actually passive, obedient and linear as a character. She is so passive that she has only 18 lines

throughout the movie. There is seen no progression, less of action and nothing much to offer to

complexity of the plot in her character. Throughout the movie, she behaves in the way an ideal woman

a “Madonna” is supposed to behave. She nowhere deviates from the socially accepted norms from

women.

5.2.2. Maleficent as the “Whore”:

Maleficent stands as the complete contradiction to Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. She is the

“whore” or the evil who deviated from the society approved norms for women. Maleficent represents

pure evil. She is ruthless, dark, devious, and will do whatever it takes to achieve her evil goals.

Additionally, she is very sinister, which is shown when she taunts Prince Phillip after she captures him.

Her most famous quote “You poor simple fools, thinking you could defeat me. ME!? The mistress of

all evil?” (Sleeping Beauty, 51: 20) indicates that she thinks herself above everyone, even calling her

closest allies "her pets" in a pseudo-affectionate manner. Other than herself, the only entity for which

that she seems to have a genuine care is her pet raven, Diablo. This is especially evident in her horror

at seeing the aftermath of Diablo getting turned to stone. Maleficent also seems to have some

emotional instability. This is especially evident in her reaction to the discovery that her goons spent the

previous 16 years looking for a baby, where she pitched a nearly truly evil laughing fit before reacting
32
violently towards her goons. She is also shown to be very sadistic, which is especially evident when

she proceeded to psychologically torture Prince Phillip simply for her own amusement late in the film.

Maleficent is shown as a woman who is not good for society and people as she is not kind,

affectionate and nurturing like Aurora. She is promiscuous, she is the evil who is out casted. Fauna

claims her to be sadistic and ruthless, “Maleficent doesn’t know anything about love, or kindness, or

the joy of helping others. You know, sometimes I don’t think she’s really very happy” (Sleeping

Beauty, 38:05). She only out of fury curses little Aurora to die. She curses her at her christening

because she was not invited, “The princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty before the sun sets

on her 16th birthday. She shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die” (Sleeping

Beauty, 8:52). She is envious, bold, lacks compassion, love and kindness which are the traits of an

ideal woman or a Madonna. For lacking those she is straightforward put in the category of “evil” or the

whore. In Sleeping beauty there is no attempt to explore or justify the complexities of Madonna rather

portrayed as a hated evil that without any reason torments people.

Maleficent’s physical appearances are projected in a way to make her look like a whore who is

different and bold. She is tall, slender, pale green-skinned, a woman with a narrow face and a

prominent chin. She is darkly beautiful and icily elegant. Her tall demeanor is such that she dwarfs the

entire cast, as evidenced by her debut scene, with King Stefan only being able to stand eye-to-eye with

her while atop the throne steps. She also has yellow eyes and black horns symbolic of her dark magic.

She is sketched in a way that presents her as strong, independent and no less than the powerful men.

Though she is portrayed as an evil but in this process she appears as a woman full of integrity and

boldness. Thus, she ends up being portrayed as the “whore” of the movie in front of Aurora.

5.3. Maleficent deconstructing Madonna-Whore Dichotomy

Disney princess films are mostly created on fairy tales or legends instead of realistic stories,

still there can be found some relevance for the human lives. But, Critics argue that these films promote

33
various stereotypes especially regarding the female characters. The princesses are portrayed as skinny

with light skin tone having a tiny waist, big eyes, and long straight hair. Critics suggest that physical

appearances of Disney’s princesses are out of proportion. Her princesses like Aurora move like elegant

ballerinas. Along with the typical beauty standards, these movies show good women to be naïve, kind,

delicate and passive. Such as the Princess Aurora who fulfilling all these criteria falls into the category

of Madonna. Because of this uniformity of appearance, Disney is criticized for not bringing diversity

in female characters. But coming out of the box and proving all wrong, Walt Disney made the movie

Maleficent (2014), directed by Robert Stromberg in an attempt to redefine the female characters.

Unlike how in Sleeping Beauty Maleficent is shown as the evil or the whore this movie attempts to

justify the character by showing her “back-story” and “Grey shades”.

The character of Maleficent is portrayed in different caricature in movie Sleeping Beauty

(1959) and Maleficent. Whereas, Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty is portrayed as a pure evil, ruthless,

dark, devious, and will do anything it takes to achieve her evil goals. On the other hand, the 2014

movie denied to portray a character as a pure evil and tried to justify the action by showing a backstory

full of betrayal, emotional damage and psychological instability. She used to be the fairy princess of

her land and the humans were greedy enough to torment her life to make her an evil witch. She was

betrayed by a human, whom she loved, would be king Stephan. Unlike Maleficent of Sleeping Beauty,

Maleficent in her eponymous movie used to be a kind, loving and caring girl. The narrator pronounces

at the very beginning of the movie, “She was not just any girl, she was a fairy” (Maleficent 1:35). She

was naïve and unaware of human betrayal which could turn her life upside down. The narrator

forshadowed the fate in earlier part, “She had never understood the greed and envy of men, but she

was to learn” (Maleficent 9:26). The way Maleficent of Sleeping Beauty is portrayed as a ruthless evil

and considered as the “whore” in front of Aurora is denied in movie Maleficent. Women are usually

categorized in the binary of “pure” and “promiscuous” or according to Freud, “Madonna” vs “Whore”.

This is a very outdated and misogynistic approach to treat women and used to project categorize

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women in 1959 movie Sleeping Beauty. But as the time changed, people are now more aware of

women’s rights, equality and representation. So, the makers of Maleficent chose to project a faulty

female character that can be both kind, compassionate, loving and even ruthless, vengeful and

inconsiderate as the hero of a movie and. The movie Maleficent pointed out the problematic portrayal

of women in Sleeping Beauty through heroic representation of Maleficent in 2014.

5.3.1. Different portrayal of Maleficent in the two movies:

The character of Maleficent is based on the evil fairy godmother character in Charles Perrault’s

fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, as well as the villainess who appears in the Brothers Grimm’s retelling of

the story, Little Briar Rose. Maleficent was animated by Marc Davis. The character got portrayed with

different viewpoint in Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Maleficent (2014). In Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent

is the villain who is ruthless, vengeful and dark character unable to love and show affection. Female

identity in Sleeping Beauty is the notion of being one-dimensional. The females in fairy tales who hold

power are the villains and, in a specific analysis of Sleeping Beauty, that “The murder of an angry

women that presents herself in the form of a dragon is the necessary duty of the male lead…and that

females, when angry, become unruly and violence may be necessary to control them” (Neikirk 40).

But, Maleficent (2014) is kind of a prequel, telling the back story behind the curse, why exactly

Maleficent cursed Princess Aurora to fall into sleep like death. This movie focuses on telling tale of

sleeping beauty from Maleficent’s side. Maleficent was known as villain but this movie changes that

perspective where the character is showed as multiple dimensional, not confined in a binary.

Maleficent is the main antagonist of Disney's 1959 animated feature film Sleeping Beauty. A

malevolent fairy, she is an incarnation of pure evil and is responsible for all the misfortune in King

Stefan's kingdom. Taking offense at not being invited to the christening of Princess Aurora by Stefan

and his wife, Queen Leah, she felt unhappy and asserted saying, “I really felt quite distressed at not

receiving an invitation” (Sleeping Beauty, 8:31). Maleficent cursed Aurora with anger that, “The

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princess shall indeed grow in grace and beauty before the sun sets on her 16th birthday. She shall prick

her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die” (Sleeping Beauty, 8:52). She also appears to be

particularly disdainful of Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, her benevolent rivals. She is frequently

accompanied by her pet raven, Diablo.

Maleficent is shown as the ultimate evil in Sleeping Beauty who for no reason keep cursing

people to cause torment. The “whore”: who can’t love, without compassion, kindness and a sadistic

evil. But Maleficent, in Maleficent (2014) is not so ruthless and even after being betrayed by King

Stefan. Unlike Sleeping Beauty’s Maleficent, she curses Aurora but not to die but to fall into deep

sleep: “She will prick her finger in the spindle of spinning wheel and fall into a sleep like death”

(Maleficent, 31:50). Moreover, she is not vengeful towards Aurora without a reason. There is a

backstory in her life to justify her actions in the movie. When she was young, she was a beautiful little

fairy who was responsible to protect her heavenly land and had no grudge for anyone. She was naive

and innocent and that can be seen when she says, “I am not afraid, beside I have not seen a human of

course”( Maleficent, 3:58). Her kind nature gets portrayed when assures boy Philip after he stole that,

“It is not right to steal, but we do not kill people for it” (Maleficent, 4:24). Maleficent in her childhood

used to be a naïve, sweet, kind and beautiful girl but with the betrayal of Stefan that gets corrupted and

she becomes vengeful, ruthless and harsh woman. This backstory of Maleficent helps to develop her as

a round character with grey shades who have both good and bad traits. That’s how the makers of the

movie differentiates her character from the one of Sleeping Beauty and deconstructs the binary.

The movie also tries to project the unfair attitude: domination, violence and oppression towards

women. It shows the patriarchal urge to dominate women through the characters of King Henry and

Stephan. The scene in which Maleficent’s wings are violently cut off from her body is the

metaphorical presentation of women being denied of “empowerment”, “strength” and “independence”.

King Stefan is characterized as a brutal patriarchal figure who wants to possess Maleficent, the crown

and the Moors. Stephan exploits the youthful Maleficent first by gaining her trust that he has come to
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save her, then makes her unconscious and finally steals her wings to become the next king. It is this

treason that pushes Maleficent to become a villain in the plot. But this betrayal does not weaken her

rather makes her more powerful. Maleficent’s characterization is so powerful that King Stephen begs

her to break the curse of his child. But Maleficent showed her integrity “I like you begging, do it

again” (Maleficent 32:06).

In spite of her fury and harshness, she has a loving and sensitive nature. She is not a villain

whose sole defining characteristic is her fury. Princess Aurora is the lone victim of her "evil" actions.

Even then, the spectator recognizes that her actions are motivated only by retaliation for Stefan's

betrayal. She subsequently apologizes to a sleeping Aurora for inflicting the curse on her, explaining

that her judgment was clouded by anger and vengeance. Maleficent is depicted as a complicated,

multidimensional persona through the combination of these points. From a visual rhetorical

perspective, the depiction of Maleficent's multifaceted personality contrasts with the depiction of

Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty. As WJY Mitchell states in his essay “What is an Image?”: “the visible

world is made visible through our perspectives which are ‘clothed in our representation’” (Mitchell

525).

Maleficent followed the little Aurora who was suffering away from her parents. Like a

motherly figure she always protected her, fed her, saved her from falling down the cliff and also played

like a friend with her. Aurora acknowledged “You are my fairy godmother. You have been watching

over me my whole life” (Maleficent 49:28) when she grew up. This motherly trait of Maleficent

deconstructs the Freudian Complex where “Madonna-whore dichotomy comes from Peruvian men

whose perception of women was split quite cleanly between ‘mother’ and everyone ‘else’ ”(Kelley 2).

The urge of patriarchal society to split women into binary of being “good” and “evil” is outdated now.

This dichotomy got flourished through the characters of Aurora-the Madonna of the movie and

Maleficent-the “whore”. But in Maleficent this binary got no place to be in action. There is no purely

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“angel” nor a hardcore “evil” in the movie. Like every other characters, Maleficent is also faulty: she is

neither a “madonna” nor a “whore”.

5.3.2. Maleficent as post structural feminist:

Maleficent (2014) is a postmodern retelling of Walt Disney’s well acclaimed Sleeping Beauty

(1959) based on Perrault’s “La Belle au bois dormant”. The myth of Sleeping Beauty contributed

greatly to the construction of gender identity based on binary thinking where women are subjugated by

the phallocentric system. This movie reveals a preconceived masculine philosophy underlying

language and gestures toward a woman. But the re-visionist Maleficent attempts to counter the gender

binary established by reviewing them from a post –structural feminist point of view. In the post-

structural feminist re-visioning of Maleficent, negative female stereotypes and romantic archetypes are

confronted through Maleficent’s positive agency. Also shows how “new” feminine language would

allow women to express themselves if it could be spoken according to post-structural feminist writer

Luce Irigaray. Maleficent shows great complexity and resilience in her identity, and her

characterization is in opposition to the patriarchal nature of traditional fairy tales. Her characterization

illuminates inequalities between conceptions of male and female identity. Maleficent rejects the

conventional gender role as per the poststructuralist ethos; it came to be regarded as performed, hybrid,

constructed and non-purist.

In the world of humans, gender plays an important role and gender is a form of ‘role play” as

usual. From the very beginning of humankind, people are divided into men/women and it became a

part of their identity. The gender roles are perfectly portrayed in the 1959 fairy tale movie Sleeping

Beauty through a “good” woman-Aurora, a “evil” woman-Maleficent and through the powerful men-

King Stephan and Prince Philip. According to gender theoretician Judith Butler, “The effect of gender

is produced through the stylization of the body and, hence, must be understood as the mundane way in

which bodily gestures, movements, and styles of various kinds constitute the illusion of an abiding

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gendered self” (Butler 56). This hence gets projected throughout the Sleeping Beauty. They writer and

the producer made ablatant and passive portrayal of them who are just waiting for fate and life to

happen to them. A critic Joyce Carol Oates argues that in Sleeping Beauty of Disney, to be “female” is

to be without volition, identity. The protagonist of the film “Aurora” has no wish of her own and she

remains passive throughout the film was waiting for a prince to come and change her fate. According

to the gender stereotypes women are supposed to be submissive, obedient and object to men’s wish.

That’s how Aurora is portrayed, an ideal and obedient woman. The men portrayed as the saviors, the

powerful and with ultimate agency. Aurora is kind of a property to her father and has to marry at her

father’s wish.

The other woman who doesn’t fall into these gender stereotypes and thus is projected as out

casted, promiscuous and evil in the movie. She is beyond all these gender roles and stereotypes. The

identity of Maleficent constructed as both a powerful, independent woman with great mental fortitude

and a person who is loving and caring is empowering. Gender identity is repeatedly constructed

through body and performance. So, Maleficent chose to act beyond the socially determined gender

roles. The modern take on the fairy tale Sleeping Beauty comes with the twist of Maleficent being the

main heroine of the movie rather than Princess Aurora. The movie shows how Maleficent as the

protector of the Moors, independent, bold and can defeat the powerful king.The pride of being

patriarch and urge to dominate women can be seen in Maleficent through the characters of King Henry

and Philip. Maleficent stands like a wall in front of these men and in spite of the entire adversary she

doesn’t bow down. King Heny came to occupy Maleficent’s place and shows arrogance of patriarchal

dominance: “A king does not take orders from a winged elf” (Maleficent 10:51). Maleficent in reply

shows her resilience and integrity and rejects king’s rule: “You are no king to me” (Maleficent 10:58).

She is a perfect example of bold and independent woman in both Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent,

though she has very dark arc in her character. In spite of all the obstacles, adversities and being

frowned upon by the patriarchal society, Maleficent emerges as a Post-structural feminist. She breaks

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all the binaries, whether the gender binary, Madonna-Whore Dichotomy or the “self vs other”. She

emerges beyond all the binaries as the narrator claimed, “In the end my kingdom was united not by a

hero nor a villain as the legend had predicted. But by one who was both a hero and villain and her

name was Maleficent” (Maleficent 1:28:15).

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