By: Andrew Nickerson

In military tactics/strategy, many great names have risen/fallen in prominence. However, one name has consistently stood the test of time: Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War. This 2,000-year-old text set the standard for everything from maneuver to spying, particularly considering its prime objective: winning. Since then, it’s become so influential that generations of experts have all reached the same conclusion: follow Sun Tzu, and you’ll win; ignore him, and you’ll lose. Furthermore, it’s wisdom is universally applicable, with everyone from politicians to businessmen to athletes using it to achieve victory.

Yet, there’s one medium this approach hasn’t tapped into: pop culture plotlines. If its knowledge is universal, then why not here? To better illustrate this, let’s use it to analyze one of my favorite movies: the 1991 animated gem Beauty and the Beast. More specifically, we’ll analyze it through the following principles: morality, terrain, leadership, preparation, foreknowledge, improv, direct-indirect acts, baiting foes, recklessness, cowardice, a hasty temper (anger from now on), delicacy of honor (DOH from now on), underestimation, and seizing an opening.

Long ago, an unnamed prince (we’ll call him Pierre—it’s France, after all) lived in a grand castle, surrounded by all he ever wanted…but was spoiled and mean. Thus, he’s already violating several Sun Tzu principles, namely two of his Five Essential Victory Factors, morality[i] and good leadership[ii], as well as three of his Five Fatal Failings of Leadership, cowardice[iii], anger[iv], and DOH[v]. Then, one winter’s night, an old beggar woman arrived, offering a rose in exchange for shelter. Violating those same principles again, Pierre sneered and turned her away, only to have her, in a grand display of morality, warn him not to be deceived by appearance, for beauty is found within. Unfortunately, Pierre, now violating another Fatal Failing, recklessness[vi], and the rule never underestimate an opponent[vii], dismissed her again, and paid for it when the “beggar’s” ugliness vanishes, revealing her to be a beautiful enchantress, who’d been secretly testing him. Thus, her actions are a grand use of one of Sun Tzu’s favorite tactics, “Direct methods can join battle, but indirect ones are needed to secure victory.”[viii] Pierre tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she’d seen he had no love in his heart; therefore, in a bold use of the leadership caveat enforcing discipline[ix], she punished him by turning him into a hideous beast, his servants into household objects, and placing a spell that mutated his castle. But, before departing, she used another Essential Victory Factor, preparation[x], by leaving two items: a magic mirror, meant to be Pierre’s only window to the outside world, and the rose she offered, which was enchanted to bloom until his 21^st birthday. She then used another principle, “what enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men is foreknowledge,”[xi] by issuing this warning: if Pierre can learn to love another, and earn her love in return, before the rose’s last petal falls, the spell would be broken; if not, he’d be doomed to remain a beast forever. Yet, in a hapless violation of cowardice and DOH, Pierre concealed himself in his castle, ashamed and soon losing all hope.

Ten years later, the scene shifts to a nearby village, namely the home of widowed inventor Maurice and his daughter Belle, the latter a stunningly beautiful girl who’s a walking display of morality due to her kindness. But, in a curious twist, she’s looked on as strange by the local villagers due to her love of reading, a sad violation of DOH by the latter, one that shows when she heads to town to return a borrowed book. Nevertheless, the store proprietor shows wonderful morality by allowing her to keep another book because it’s her favorite. Unfortunately, the rest of the villagers maintain their DOH violations…just in time to meet Gaston, a handsome, distinguished hunter and the town’s most famous resident. His skills are, admittedly, a good display of a caveat of prep, better training[xii], but the peoples’ adulation has gone to his head, making him a walking DOH violation. Worse, his personal flunky, Lefou, is always by his side, constantly buttering him up, a sad violation of recklessness. Yet, despite Gaston’s pompousness, women are literally falling for him, but he wants only one: Belle. Thus, when Lefou spots her, Gaston tries to go after her, only to find his path blocked; hence, Gaston ends up using another Essential Victory Factor, terrain[xiii], and the principle “be flexible; according as circumstances are favorable, one should modify one’s plans”[xiv], or improv, by scaling nearby roofs to bypass the crowd. Yet, when he finally meets up with Belle, we learn she’s not only uninterested, but disgusted by him, which is his violations catching up to them. It only gets worse when Lefou, in a cruel violation of recklessness, morality, foreknowledge, and DOH, insults Maurice, although an explosion at her home thankfully ends the exchange.

Upon returning, Belle finds Maurice, in a clumsy violation of recklessness, had an accident with his latest invention, a wood-chopping machine. The former is able to calm him, a nice use of morality and leadership by her, after which she tells him of her trip to town; it’s also where, in a further use of those principles, she reveals she finds Gaston “rude and conceited” and utterly unsuitable, a wonderful use of the leadership caveat, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.”[xv] Meanwhile, her prior use of morality pays off when Maurice repairs his invention, after which he hitches it to their horse, Phillippe, and heads off to enter it in a nearby fair. But tragedy strikes en route, courtesy of Maurice violating prep by getting lost in the forest. He smartly uses leadership by halting to try and reorient himself at a fork in the road, but then fails terrain and recklessness by opting for a route leading to a dark passage. Phillippe, in contrast, keenly uses terrain to ascertain the risks of such a route and, in a grand use of improv and the leadership caveat “some commands of the sovereign must not be obeyed”[xvi], aims for the other way…only to be halted by Maurice’s foolish follow-up violation of recklessness and leadership that forces them down the first path.

As they proceed, Phillippe senses danger while Maurice, in a sloppy violation of DOH and cowardice, blames the former for the mistake, only to have the terrified horse accidentally back into a tree, releasing a storm of bats that causes him to again violate cowardice by bolting. Thankfully, Maurice asserts leadership by halting Phillippe before a cliff, but the latter is now so terrified he bucks the former off and flees. The stranded Maurice then spots several wolves nearby and, in a quick use of improv, races away, whereupon he arrives at Pierre’s castle and, again using improv, manages to get inside, leaving his hat behind. Rain then begins falling, and he heads inside, calling for help, his presence drawing the attention of two of Pierre’s servants: mantle clock Cogsworth and candelabra Lumiere. The former, in a cold violation of morality and DOH, wants to pretend they’re not there and tries to keep the latter quiet, but Lumiere, in a quick use of improv, burns his cohort’s hand away and offers Maurice shelter, even getting fellow staff Mrs. Potts (a teapot) and Chip (a teacup) to help. Tragically, the noise draws Pierre, causing Cogsworth, in a stunning violation of cowardice, to blame Lumiere for everything. But Pierre, in a subsequently horrifying violation of morality, cowardice, anger, and DOH, shouts the others down and cruelly throws Maurice into the dungeon.

The next day, Gaston brazenly violates DOH, foreknowledge, recklessness, and prep, by going to Belle’s home to surprise her with an impromptu wedding. However, he pays for that when he tries to propose: as he pins her against the door, Belle, in a great use of improv, not only rejects him but opens said door, causing him to fall into a nearby mud puddle. Thus, Gaston leaves, furious and humiliated, while Belle groans over the man’s arrogance…until Phillippe suddenly reappears without Maurice. In a brave show of morality, leadership, and improv, she undoes the cart from the horse and rides into the forest after her dad. She’s able to locate the castle, along with Maurice’s hat, so she heads inside, only to be spotted by the staff. Lumiere, in a quick use of direct-indirect acts, uses the sound of his movements and light from his candles to draw Belle to Maurice. Unfortunately, it also draws Pierre, the latter still violating morality, cowardice, anger, and DOH by raging over her dad’s “trespassing”. Yet, he now violates underestimation, for Belle, in a bold use of morality and improv, offers to trade places with Maurice. Sadly, Pierre continues violating morality by saying she must remain there forever, after which she uses foreknowledge by asking him to come into the light, fully revealing his grotesque appearance. Despite that image, Belle agrees, but then Pierre violates morality, cowardice, anger, and DOH again by dragging Maurice away before she can say goodbye. Ironically, seeing Belle distraught over that last move profoundly affects Pierre, the first time we see him feel regret, and leads him to use morality and improv by showing her to a grand room. En route, he uses foreknowledge and prep by telling her she can go wherever she likes…except the west wing, although he’s back to violating anger and DOH when she asks about it. Worse, when Lumiere uses direct-indirect acts by suggesting he invite her to dinner, Pierre ruins it by violating morality, leadership, cowardice, anger, and DOH yet again by turning the invite into a violent order, leaving Belle in tears.

Meanwhile, Gaston is sulking in a local tavern, his ego shattered. The sight motivates Lefou to use morality, leadership, improv, and foreknowledge to get the other patrons to bolster him…until Maurice appears, begging for help. Unfortunately, the latter foolishly violates recklessness and underestimation in mentioning Pierre, leading all to call him “crazy” and throw him out. Worse, that same statement dangerously provides Gaston with foreknowledge, who sees this as a possible way to get Belle to marry him. He promptly contacts the manager of an asylum, whereupon the pair concoct a sinister plot: using a caveat of foreknowledge, “seize something which your opponent holds dear, then he will be amenable to your will”[xvii], they’ll threaten to institutionalize Maurice unless Belle marries Gaston. It’s a disgusting violation of morality, leadership, and cowardice, to say nothing of underestimation, for being rejected by the town drives Maurice to use improv to go after Belle alone. Undaunted, Gaston uses prep by planting Lefou outside the house to watch for their return.

Back at the castle, Belle soon meets Mrs. Potts, Chip, and the other staff, their appearances stunning her, but then Pierre’s outbursts catch up to him when she declares she won’t go to dinner; the staff’s sad violations of cowardice don’t help, namely when her wardrobe claims “But you must!” Naturally, Pierre is still violating anger, DOH, and morality by raging over Belle’s non-appearance, but then Lumiere uses improv by hinting she could break the spell. Yet, Mrs. Potts quickly uses leadership by implying any relationship would take time, despite her cohort’s worried use of foreknowledge when he mentions the rose has begun to wilt. Pierre then violates cowardice and DOH by griping over his appearance…until Mrs. Potts and Lumiere quickly use leadership by ordering him to straighten up, try to be complimentary, and especially by ordering “You must control your temper!” Tragically, it’s all for naught, courtesy of Cogsworth revealing Belle’s rejection, sending Pierre straight back to violating recklessness, morality, leadership, anger, and DOH by storming upstairs and threatening to break down her door; his staff’s desperate use of morality to calm him changes nothing, leading the enraged Pierre to storm off, declaring “If she doesn’t eat with me then she doesn’t eat at all!” Going to his room, he continues violating anger and DOH by ranting like a child…until he uses foreknowledge by having the magic mirror show him Belle, whereupon he sees her exclaim, “I don’t want to have anything to do with him!” Those words reveal the power of morality by deflating him, leaving him muttering, “She’ll never think of me as anything but a monster….”

Later, Belle, following the principle if there’s an opening to seize victory, take it,[xviii] slips out…and right past Lumiere, who’s shamefully violating recklessness by not keeping an eye on her like Cogsworth had ordered. She goes to the kitchen, where the staff is sulking over the blowout, only to perk up and introduce themselves when she appears, especially when she reveals she’s hungry. Cogsworth promptly violates cowardice by reiterating Pierre’s orders, but Lumiere and the others, in a gracious example of morality and leadership, feed and entertain her anyway. Afterward, she wants to look around, cleverly using direct-indirect acts by hinting Cogsworth must know everything about the castle to bypass his defenses…until she reaches a set of stairs, whereupon Lumiere and the latter block her. However, Cogsworth fatally violates recklessness by accidentally revealing that’s the forbidden west wing, so he and Lumiere desperately use improv to try and distract her, the latter inadvertently using the principle “use baits to entice enemies”[xix] by mentioning the castle’s library. The lure almost works, but the pair are so entrenched in the newly acquired foreknowledge they earn via her enthusiastic response that they violate recklessness, leadership, and underestimation by not making sure she’s following as they head off.

In truth, Belle’s curiosity caused her to violate recklessness by going upstairs, where she finds many things, including a shredded picture of Pierre, but then spots the rose and tries to investigate. Sadly, she’s intercepted by the latter, who horrifically violates morality, leadership, anger, DOH, recklessness, and underestimation by going into an explosive rage that causes her to flee the castle itself. The latter move, while understandable, soon proves a colossal violation of terrain, recklessness, and underestimation because Belle’s doesn’t know the area…and pays for it when she’s attacked by wolves. In a desperate use of improv, she and Phillippe race off, but they’ve violated underestimation again, for the pack simply wields improv and the leadership caveat “He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces”[xx] by cutting them off, causing the panicking horse to throw Belle and get his reins tangled on a branch. Both the latter bravely use improv to fight back, but the pack are soon able to pin Belle…until all find they’ve violated underestimation when Pierre, in an incredible display of morality and improv, appears and manages to pummel/frighten off the wolves. But he’s violated underestimation himself, and ends up badly injured and collapsing in the snow afterward. Belle is tempted to flee, but her goodness and the gratitude she feels at his saving her life stop her, and she instead wields morality and improv by helping him onto Phillippe and returning to the castle. Tragically, he’s right back to violating anger and DOH when she tries to treat his wounds, causing him to rant over it hurting, and then blaming her for what happened, only to have her use foreknowledge by pointing out he scared her away. Undaunted, he violates DOH again by claiming she should’ve stayed out of the west wing, but she crushes that impulse with leadership and morality by counter “Well you should learn to control your temper!” Ironically, this finally breaks his ego, as does her then using morality by thanking him for saving her, the first sign of affection between them.

The next day, Belle’s morality takes full effect on Pierre, making him want to do something for her…and Lumiere quickly uses foreknowledge to get him to give her the library, which wins both her admiration and more of her heart. The two spend more time together, her morality profoundly affecting him, leading to the film’s most famous moment: invited to a grand meal (a wonderful use of prep by the staff), Belle quickly uses seizing an opening to dance with Pierre, leaving all watching convinced of the coming win…until she mentions she misses her dad. The latter, in a wonderful use of morality, improv, and foreknowledge, lets her use the mirror to see him, only to find Maurice has violated recklessness and terrain by getting lost and is now ill. Here, Pierre makes a bold decision: despite the dwindling rose, he uses morality, prep, and foreknowledge by not only letting her go, but giving her the mirror. Belle leaves, after which Cogsworth, horrified by her departure demands to know why, only to learn why Sun Tzu values morality via Pierre’s response: “Because…I love her.” Tragically, as Mrs. Potts points out via foreknowledge, it’s not enough to break the spell because Belle doesn’t love him, but this act prompts an inventive use of seizing an opening and improv by Chip, who stows away with Belle as she rides off. Using the foreknowledge from the mirror, Belle locates Maurice and brings him home, whereupon Gaston’s earlier prep pays off as Lefou races off to inform his boss.

As Maurice awakens, Belle’s feelings are revealed to have changed via morality too, something aided when Chip pops out of her bag. Unfortunately, the asylum manager appears, alongside a massive mob riled up by Lefou in a sickening violation of morality and leadership. As Maurice is seized, Gaston appears and Belle tries to plead with him, only to find she’s badly violated underestimation as the evil hunter relays his ultimatum, only to find he’s violated underestimation when she not only rejects him, but desperately wields direct-indirect acts by using the mirror to reveal Pierre. She tries to assuage the crowd, but her tender words toward the latter soon cause Gaston to violate DOH by accusing her of having feelings for him, only to violate underestimation again when Belle boldly uses morality by retorting, “He’s no monster, Gaston! You are!” Unfortunately, her words spark a frightening violation of morality, leadership, anger, cowardice, and DOH in Gaston, starting with his riling up the crowd by claiming Pierre is dangerous and that they should kill him. Belle, hopelessly violating recklessness and underestimation, tries to stop him, only to have Gaston and the mob lock them both in their house’s basement before marching on the castle. However, the latter also badly violate underestimation, for Chip, in an amazing use of improv, spots Maurice’s invention, gets it started, and sends it downhill to smash open the basement, enabling the lot to return to the castle.

Meanwhile, the mob uses prep and foreknowledge by chopping down a tree to use as a battering ram, followed by a caveat of terrain, “make use of local guides”[xxi], by having the mirror guide them. Spotting the oncoming threat, Mrs. Potts tries to warn Pierre, but he badly violates leadership and cowardice by ignoring her due to his depression over losing Belle. Thus, the staff try to block the door, a sad violation of underestimation since they’re clearly unable to stop the mob, but then Lumiere brilliantly uses direct-indirect acts by dousing the lights and having everyone pretend to be inanimate junk. The mob, foolishly violating recklessness, underestimation, and the baiting rule “do not swallow bait offered by the enemy”[xxii], proceed inside, only to pay for their mistakes when they’re ambushed on all sides. A brief crisis occurs when Lefou pins Lumiere with a flaming torch, but the flunky foolishly violates recklessness and underestimation by not watching his back, ultimately paying for it when Cogsworth, in a daring use of terrain and seizing an opening, nails him from behind. A similar moment then occurs when Lumiere, spotting a man roughing up his feather duster paramour, uses the same principles to burn him from behind, but the finale comes when Lefou and two others charge into the kitchen, only to find sharp knives and an angry chef. Terrified, the mob flees, ending the bout.

Unfortunately, Gaston has slipped upstairs and found Pierre, the latter still depressed, a dangerous violation of the leadership caveat “know when to fight”[xxiii], since the former promptly uses seizing an opening by shooting him with an arrow and knocking him out a nearby window. The monster then shamefully violates morality and cowardice by taunting Pierre…only to find Belle arriving. This incredible show of morality galvanizes Pierre, who immediately counterattacks, leading to a brutal battle on the castle rooftops, leaving Belle to use foreknowledge by racing up to try and stop them. Ultimately, Pierre uses terrain and foreknowledge by concealing himself amongst the roof gargoyles to get the drop on Gaston, who manages to push him back, only to foolishly violate DOH and underestimation by screaming “Belle is mine!” Enraged, Pierre knocks the latter down, grabs him by the throat, and holds him off the edge, prompting Gaston to shamelessly violate cowardice by begging for his life, after which Belle’s morality takes effect again as the former refuses to sink to his foe’s level and throws him aside. Here, Belle appears, and Pierre immediately climbs up to be with her, a move that proves a costly blunder when Gaston cruelly violates morality and cowardice by stabbing Pierre in the back with a knife. It’s the latter’s final mistake for, when Pierre weakly swings backward, Gaston easily dodges, but violates recklessness and terrain by leaning back too far; Belle is able to pull Pierre back up, but the latter falls to his death. Still, the damage is done, and the staff watch helplessly as the dying Pierre is laid out, but all violate underestimation, this time of Belle who, upon the latter’s death, is so shocked she wields morality one last time by whispering, “I love you.” Her words, uttered just before the rose’s last petal falls, pay off when the spell breaks, Pierre is restored to life, and their subsequent kiss shatters the rest of the enchantment and restores all to their previous forms, allowing an epic happy-ever-after.

This was an incredible story, one where Sun Tzu’s guiding hand was visible regardless of the scenario. That same guidance brought down an arrogant monster while saving the heart of a fool, both of which suffered from similar ailments, but whose paths differed based on how they applied The Art of War’s principles. Then again, as was said before, if you follow Sun Tzu, you’ll win; if you ignore him, you’ll lose.

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[i] Beauty and the Beast: Diamond Edition, dir. Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise (1991).

[i] Lionel Giles, The Art of War (New York, NY; Fall River Press, 2011), 3.

[ii] Giles, The Art of War, 3.

[iii] Giles, The Art of War, 28.

[iv] Giles, The Art of War, 28.

[v] Giles, The Art of War, 28.

[vi] Giles, The Art of War, 28.

[vii] Giles, The Art of War, 33.

[viii] Giles, The Art of War, 15.

[ix] Giles, The Art of War, 4.

[x] Giles, The Art of War, 3.

[xi] Giles, The Art of War, 50.

[xii] Giles, The Art of War, 4.

[xiii] Giles, The Art of War, 3.

[xiv] Giles, The Art of War, 4.

[xv] Giles, The Art of War, 11.

[xvi] Giles, The Art of War, 27.

[xvii] Giles, The Art of War, 41.

[xviii] Giles, The Art of War, 46.

[xix] Giles, The Art of War, 5.

[xx] Giles, The Art of War, 11.

[xxi] Giles, The Art of War, 24.

[xxii] Giles, The Art of War, 26.

[xxiii] Giles, The Art of War, 11.

                                                                  Bibliography

Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Translated by Lionel Giles. New York: Fall River Press, 2011.

Trousdale, Gary, and Wise, Kirk, directors. Beauty and the Beast: Diamond Edition. 1991; Walt Disney Pictures, 2010. 92 min. Blu-Ray.

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