CREEPER

1) Each version of the Bluebeard story had its own elements of horror. But I must agree with Ellie, that just marrying a man with a blue beard is pretty horrifying in itself, so that is the element of horror in most of the versions. In Thackeray’s “Bluebeard’s Ghost”, the element of horror of Frederick Sly, John Thomas, and Mr. Claptrap the theatre manager collaborating to scare Fatima Bluebeard as they pretended to be Mr. Bluebeard’s ghosts that rose from the grave. Definitely pretty scary stuff with all the screaming “Fatima! Fatima! Fatima!” three times and the slamming of the doors. Also, the times that Mr. Sly tried to hang and tried to commit suicide is pretty scary stuff. In France’s version “The Seven Wives of Bluebeard”, the whole story is pretty horrifying as it described the different way that’s Bluebeard’s previous wives have died- from drowning to being eaten by animals. And how creepy and sketchy is it that the “little cabinet” at the end of the hall is also named “The Cabinet of the Unfortunate Princesses”- I would say that their deaths were definitely very unfortunate events. When Bluebeard told his current wife not to look into the little room, it built suspense for the audience as she was definitely curious and tempted to look. And the audience wonders what is in the room as well, driving the progression of the story. In Perrult’s versions “Bluebeard”, it was horrifying when she found out what was behind the closed door of the little room- the windows were closed and that the floor was completely covered with the blood of the many dead bodies hanging from the wall (all these were Bluebeard’s previous wives in which he murdered one after another). Lastly, in Grimm’s version “Fitcher’s Bird”, the element of horror is the old man going door to door capturing girls from families and also how the 1st two sisters died. This drives the progression of the story as the audience wonders what will happen to the 3rd sister, but also knowing that she will probably be the intelligent one and not fall into the same horrifying fate as her two older sisters.