Kill the Beast!

BELLE: My father's not crazy and I can prove it! Show me the beast!

(The magic mirror shines, then produces the image of
the Beast. The crowd oohs and aahs at it.)

WOMAN 1: Is it dangerous?

BELLE: Oh, no. He'd never hurt anyone. Please, I know he looks vicious, but he's really kind and gentle. He's my friend.

GASTON: If I didn't know better, I'd think you had feelings for this monster.

BELLE: He's no monster, Gaston. You are!

GASTON: She's as crazy as the old man.

The beast will make off with your children,
he'll come after them in the night.
We're not safe 'till his head is mounted on my wall.
I say we kill the beast!

Man: We're not safe until he's dead.
Man 2: He'll come stalking us at night.
Woman: Set to sacrifice our children to his montrous appetite.
Man 3: He'll wreak havok on our village if we let him wander free!

Gaston: So it's time to take some action boys!
It's time---to---fol---low---me!

Through the mist, through the woods,
through the darkness and the shadows.
It's a nightmare but it one exciting ride.
Say a prayer, then we're there,
at the drawbridge of a castle,
and there's something truly terrible inside.

It's a beast, he's got fangs razor sharp ones.
Massive paws, killer claws for the feed.
Hear him roar, see him foam,
but we're not coming home,
'till he's dead, good and dead. Kill the beast.

Belle: NO! I won't let you do this!

Gaston: If you're not with us, you're against.
Bring the old man!

Maurice: Get your hands off me!

Gaston: We can't have them running off to warn the creature.

Belle: Let us out!

Gaston: We'll rid the village of this beast, who's with me?!

Chorus:
Get your torch, mount you horse,

Gaston:
Through your courage to the stinking place.

Chorus:
We're counting on your stud to lead the way.
Through a mist to the wood, where we see a haunted castle,
something's lurking that you don't see every day.
It's a beast, just as tall as a mountain,
We won't rest 'till he's good and deceased.
Steady fourth, tally ho! Grab your sword, grab your bow!
Let's get on and here we go!

Gaston: We'll lay seige to the castle, and bring back his head!

Chorus: We don't like what we don't...
understand and in fact it scares us,
and this monster is mysterious at least.
Bring your guns, bring your knives,
save children and and your wives,
so save our village and our lives!
LETS KILL THE BEAST!

Cogsworth: I knew it, I knew it was foolish to get our hopes up.
Lumiere: Maybe it would have been better if she'd never come at all.
Dog barks
Lumiere: Could it be?
Mrs Potts: Is it she?
Lumiere: Scara bleu! Invaders!
Cogsworth: Encroachers!
Mrs Potts: and they 'ave the mirror!
Cogsworth: Warn the master. If it's a fight they want,
we'll be ready for them. Who's with me! Arrrgh!

Gaston: Take whatever booty you can find, but remember!
THE BEAST IS MINE!

Castle Furnishings:
Find a place, stand aside, we go marching into battle,
unafraid of all the things you just decreed.

Village chorus:
Raise the ram, sing this song,
here we come at fifty strong.
If fifty frenchmen can be wrong,
let's kill the beast!


Where are they getting all this from? "He'll make off with your children," "He'll wreck havoc on our village." Gaston's just making this stuff up, and the people believe it? They lock up Belle, the only person qualified to talk about The Beast, and refuse to listen to her.

Why?

Well, I suppose one could say it's just a movie, which would be true, but it's also an excellent description of human nature. They want to have danger, adventure and a problem that they can fix.

Especially a problem they can fix.

They don't want to hear the goo news. The news that even though The Beast was rude and hot tempered, Belle already put up with it for them, and tamed him. He's not mean anymore.

They would rather deal with The Beast themselves.

People are much happier when told they can make a difference. They love to hear there's a problem, because then they can fix it by their own power.

(And Gaston is Al Gore. That thought made me crack up. I giggled for five minute straight. I'm still laughing.)