Though Aurora/Rose makes few appearances in the film, the viewer can be sure of one thing: She holds steadfastly to one dream, the dream of true love. She exists more as a concept than as a complex character. The filmmakers intend for her to embody the ideal woman. No amount of hiding in peasants’ clothes can change her nobility and goodness. Typically, the main character of a film appears for much of the screen time and undergoes changes or rises above challenges to achieve a happy ending. In Sleeping Beauty, however, Aurora’s unchangeable nature is exactly the point. She’s pure, innocent, and good from the start, and her stalwart attachment to her beliefs guarantees her a happy ending.

Flora and Fauna give her the gifts of beauty and song, but Aurora/Rose also has other characteristics. Most significantly, she’s passive. She wishes and dreams, but she can’t take much action, largely because she’s asleep for much of the story. This passivity is so comprehensive that after Prince Phillip awakens her, she doesn’t say anything for the rest of the film. The director’s intention seems to be to create a distant, iconic status for Aurora/Rose so that she appears ideal, something to be admired from afar.

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