Beauty, the daughter of a shipping merchant, offers her own life to save that of her father's, after being captured by an evil Beast. After agreeing to spare the shipping merchant's life, the Beast sends him away forever, telling him he will never see his daughter again.

Expecting to be held prisoner, Beauty is made mistress of the castle and is showered with gifts from the Beast. The Beast asks for her hand in marriage every day but Beauty declines. As time passes, she notices his kind heart more and his ugliness less...

Suddenly, Beauty returns home convinced that her father is dying and the Beast tells her that she can go but must return back to the castle in eight days or catastrophe will strike. On the eighth day, Beauty is torn between the love of her family and her loyalty to the Beast...