Summary

• Maleficent's role as a villain in Sleeping Beauty is reinterpreted in a theory that makes her actions more understandable.
• Maleficent may have cursed Aurora due to a broken promise made by her mother, Queen Leah.
• The theory adds depth to Maleficent's character, suggesting she desired acceptance and had powers beyond evil actions.

Maleficent is the villain in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, but one theory changes her role in the story enough to make viewers root for her after all these years. Disney is home to some of the most popular and beloved animated classics in film history, and the studio is best known for its princess movies. Among them is Sleeping Beauty, the studio’s third official Disney Princess. Released in 1959 and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, Eric Larson, and Les Clark, Sleeping Beauty is based on Charles Perrault’s 1697 fairy tale of the same name but with a couple of tweaks.

Sleeping Beauty tells the story of Princess Aurora (voiced by Mary Costa), who, as a baby, is cursed by the evil fairy Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) to die from a prick from the spindle of a spinning wheel when she turns 16. Although the curse is slightly altered by one of the good fairies so that Aurora falls into a deep sleep instead of dying, the princess is still at risk. Sleeping Beauty established Maleficent as its villain, and she went on to become one of Disney’s most memorable antagonists, but one theory changes how her role in the movie is seen.

Disney Theory Explains Maleficent’s Connection To Aurora’s Parents (& Their Betrayal)

Maleficent Had Reasons To Be Angry, After All

The theory suggests Queen Leah turned to Maleficent for help to conceive Aurora, as she had spent years wanting a child.

Sleeping Beauty begins with a narration about Aurora’s parents, King Stefan and Queen Leah, told through a book. In it, it’s mentioned that the King and Queen had longed for a child for years and their wish was finally granted when Aurora was born. The king and queen celebrated Aurora’s birth with a great holiday so that “all of high or low estate” could pay homage to the young princess. At the celebration, the three good fairies – Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather – arrived and each blessed Aurora with a gift, but Merryweather was interrupted by the arrival of Maleficent.

Known as an evil fairy, Maleficent made a rather theatrical appearance in the middle of the castle, much to the surprise of the King, the fairies, and the rest of the guests. Maleficent mentioned not receiving an invitation and was shocked when Merryweather told her she wasn’t wanted, after which she gave her “gift” to the princess: the above-mentioned curse. The rest of Sleeping Beauty focused on the fairies' attempts to keep Aurora safe and Maleficent’s actions to lure a now 16-year-old Aurora to the spinning wheel to fulfill the curse.

Now, a theory shared on Reddit explains why Maleficent arrived at the celebration and why she was surprised to hear she wasn’t wanted, despite knowing her reputation across the kingdom as an evil fairy. The theory suggests Queen Leah turned to Maleficent for help to conceive Aurora, as she had spent years wanting a child but being unable to have one. Maleficent agreed to help her on the condition that, once the baby was born, Queen Leah would acknowledge Maleficent and her help. However, after realizing Maleficent had a terrible reputation, the Queen went back on the promise.

If the Queen didn’t honor her promise, nothing stopped Maleficent from undoing what she did for her.

This is why Maleficent was surprised to hear she wasn’t wanted and why Queen Leah looked at her nervously, unlike the king who looked at her in disgust, and the fairies who initially looked at her in fear. As Maleficent was about to leave the celebration, Queen Leah asked her if she was offended, and only then did she turn around to curse Aurora – because if the Queen didn’t honor her promise, nothing stopped Maleficent from undoing what she did for her.

Sleeping Beauty’s Explanation Of Maleficent’s Curse Doesn’t Make Sense

Sleeping Beauty Didn’t Go Into Maleficent’s Motives

Maleficent should have known that she wouldn’t be wanted at a celebration like that.

Sleeping Beauty didn’t go into the details of Maleficent’s role in the kingdom, her connection to the fairies, and why she was so upset that she wasn’t invited. Surely, it can be argued that the whole kingdom, royal or not, was invited except her because she was “unwanted”, but she was also aware of her position as the self-proclaimed “Mistress of Evil”, so she should have known that she wouldn’t be wanted at a celebration like that. By ignoring this part of the story, Maleficent came off as childish, and her actions as a temper tantrum, which had huge consequences.

The live-action reimagining, Maleficent, gave the title villain a completely different story and origin, unrelated to the animated classic.

How This Theory Changes Maleficent & Sleeping Beauty

This Theory Puts Maleficent Under A Different Light

Maleficent and Queen Leah's deal hints at Maleficent wanting to be integrated into society, perhaps even wanting to use this chance to clear her name and image.

The theory gives a different perspective on Maleficent’s place in the story of Sleeping Beauty and gives her a real reason to curse Aurora and be angry at the King and Queen. The theory also gives an idea of what Maleficent’s powers were like beyond the evil stuff she did in Sleeping Beauty, as she was able to help the queen have Aurora. Their deal hints at Maleficent wanting to be integrated into society, perhaps even wanting to use this chance to clear her name and image, making her anger and desire for revenge against the king and queen much more understandable.

As Sleeping Beauty never got a sequel and Maleficent was defeated at the end, it remains unclear what Maleficent’s link to Aurora’s parents was (if any), her role in the kingdom, and why was she so angry at her not being “wanted” at the celebration despite knowing she’s not a wanted presence in the kingdom, in general – but the theory can give some closure to all this.

Source: Reddit.