Sleeping Beautys Castle Essay -- Compare Contrast Castles Architectur

Sleeping Beauty's Castle The past has a great influence on present culture. However ideas and themes of the past can change with time. This is true with the ideas associated with the medieval castle. These castles, which once served as a military fortress as well as a residence, are now often associated with the fantastical, popular images people can have of the middle ages. Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disneyland is a good example because it represents an idea to many people of what a medieval castle may have looked like. However the Disney castle is not an exact representation of a medieval castle. The differences in style and architecture between the Sleeping Beauty Castle and a medieval castle reflect each castle's varying functions and result in different impressions associated with each castle. Sleeping Beauty's castle is located at the Disneyland amusement park in Anaheim, California. The castle was opened in April 1957, roughly two years after Disneyland itself opened. Since its opening, the castle has become a major attraction at the park. It is often shown in advertisements for Disneyland and appears on its movie logo. The castle stands in the center of the park, at the end of Disneyland's Main Street. It is also directly aligned with the front entrance of the park. The exterior of the castle is the main emphasis of the attraction. It represents the medieval castle where Sleeping Beauty was born. The numerous towers and walkways that make up the castle are inaccessible. They are only part of the castle's decoration. Visitors to the castle will find that they cannot ascend into any of these towers and can only walk straight through the castle. The walkway through castle displays a diorama of Sleeping Beauty's life... ...types. The more knowledge that is known about medieval castle, the more apparent it is that his castle is an exaggerated version that is aimed more at expressing the magical and fantastical qualities that modern society associates with the middle ages than at giving a true historical representation of a medieval castle. Works Cited: 1. Hughes, James. Military Architecture. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1974 2. Levron, Jacques. The Royal Chateaux of the Ile de France. New York: Rand McNally & Company, 1965. 3. Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History. New York: Prentice Hall, inc., and Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, 1995. 4. "Architecture." World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book Inc., 1986. 5. "Castles." World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book Inc., 1986. 6. "Middle Ages." World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book Inc., 1986.