A sorceress disguised as a beggar visits the castle of a cruel and selfish prince, offering him an enchanted rose in exchange for shelter from a storm. When he refuses, she reveals her identity and transforms the prince into a beast and his servants into household objects. She warns the prince that the spell will only be broken if he learns to love another and be loved in return before the last petal falls, or he will remain a beast forever. Several years later, in a nearby village, Belle, the book-loving daughter of an eccentric inventor named Maurice, dreams of adventure. She frequently tries to avoid Gaston, a narcissistic hunter who wants to marry her for her Beauty. On his way to a fair to display his latest invention, an automatic wood splitter, Maurice gets lost in the woods and seeks refuge in the Beast's castle. There, the Beast finds Maurice and imprisons him for trespassing. When Maurice's horse returns alone, Belle ventures out to find her father and finds him locked in the castle dungeon. Belle agrees to take Maurice's place as the Beast's prisoner in exchange for her father's freedom.
