Aurora

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Lore & Background

Aurora's story is rooted in Charles Perrault's fairy tale and elements from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's ballet. In the original tales, the princess slept for 100 years or was destined to prick her finger at age 15; Disney adjusted this, setting the curse for her sixteenth birthday and introducing Prince Phillip earlier in the narrative. The character utilizes two names: Aurora is her birth name, while Briar Rose is her assumed identity as a peasant. Walt Disney intended this third princess to differ from Snow White, yet similarities remain, such as an evil witch, a woodland hiding place with comic-relief caretakers, and a deathlike sleep breakable only by true love's kiss. The film's development struggled for years until Mary Costa was discovered. Animator Marc Davis drew inspiration from Art Nouveau and actress Audrey Hepburn to create Aurora's slender physique and refined design, which required unprecedented effort due to the detailed backgrounds. Costumed in an off-the-shoulder pink or blue ball gown with a triangular peplum and golden tiara, she speaks only 18 lines, making her the least talkative speaking main character in a feature-length Disney film.

In Their Own Story

The narrative follows Aurora from her cursed birth to her life as a hidden peasant. At age 16, her true identity is revealed, but before she can return to the castle, she pricks her finger on a spindle, fulfilling Maleficent's prophecy. She falls into a deep slumber that spreads throughout the kingdom. Prince Phillip, who had met and fallen in love with her while disguised as a peasant named Briar Rose, is captured by Maleficent but escapes the dungeon with the help of the three good fairies. Armed with their magical weapons, he battles the sorceress, who transforms into a dragon. After defeating the beast, Phillip reaches the sleeping Aurora. His kiss breaks the spell, awakening her and restoring life to the kingdom. The film concludes with their wedding. Upon release, Sleeping Beauty was both a critical and commercial failure, discouraging Disney from adapting fairy tales for three decades until Ariel's debut in 1989. Critics initially panned Aurora's passivity, yet Mary Costa's vocal performance earned praise.

Reader's Guide

To understand Aurora is to recognize her unique position as the last princess Walt Disney directly involved with before his death and the only one who speaks less than any other main character in a full-length animated feature (aside from silent Dumbo). Her voice was provided by Mary Costa, an American singer discovered at a dinner party after performing "When I Fall in Love." Costa, originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, nearly lost the role due to her southern accent until she proved she could sustain a British one. She recorded her songs live with the orchestra over three years, finishing vocals in 1955 while animators took several more years to complete the film. Walt Disney maintained strict health routines for Costa, advising her to avoid colds and get nine hours of sleep, fostering a father-daughter relationship where he instructed her to "paint with [her] voice." Aurora's design demanded more effort than any previous character, inspired by Audrey Hepburn and Art Nouveau. Chronologically the third princess after Cinderella, she remained Disney's sole princess for 30 years until 1989. She was later portrayed live-action by Elle Fanning in Maleficent (2014) and its sequel Mistress of Evil (2019).

Did You Know?

• Aurora speaks only 18 lines of dialogue and has no spoken words after she is awakened from her deep sleep.
• Mary Costa was discovered by composer Walter Schumann at a dinner party where she performed 'When I Fall in Love'.
• The character's slender physique was inspired by actress Audrey Hepburn, while the design drew from Art Nouveau styles.
• In the original Brothers Grimm version of the tale, the princess is destined to prick her finger at age 15, but Disney aged the character one year to 16.
• Aurora remained Disney's only animated princess for 30 years until Ariel debuted in The Little Mermaid (1989).