Bluebeard is a French aristocrat who, though he was immensely wealthy and charming, was feared because of his blue beard. He had been married a few times before to young, beautiful women who had all died suddenly, so the local girls became afraid of his ‘bad luck’ and would not marry him, despite his charms. Eventually, he asked a neighbour if he could marry one of her two daughters, but both were reluctant to go near him. However, he managed to persuade the youngest sister to visit him at the castle where he laid out a tremendous feast which helped persuade her to marry him. Shortly after her arrival at the castle he told her he must leave the country for a few weeks, but gave her the keys to every room in the house- including one to a small room beneath the castle which he made her swear that she will not enter. She is overcome with curiosity to find out what is in this room, and (despite her sister’s warnings) opens the door. She finds the bodies of Bluebeard’s wives hanging on hooks and drops the key onto the blood-soaked floor, staining it with blood that will not wash off. She tells her sister and they decide to flee, but Bluebeard returns and sees the blood on the key which proves his wife had disobeyed him. He immediately resolves that he must kill her but before beheading her he allows her fifteen minutes to say her prayers, which allowed time for her two brothers to arrive. Just before Bluebeard reaches the sisters with his axe, the brothers enter the castle and kill him. His wife, as his only heir, inherits his vast wealth which she uses to pay a dowry for her sister, her brothers’ captains’ commissions and to marry a good man who makes her forget her terrible encounter with Bluebeard.
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