In my thesis I am concentrating on seven versions of the Sleeping Beauty tales: Basile’s Sun, Moon and Talia; Perrault’s Sleeping Beauty in the Wood; The Grimm brother’s Little Briar Rose; Jane Yolen’s Briar Rose; Alex Flinn’s Kiss in Time; and Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, and Maleficent. I compare the plots of these narratives and investigate to what extent one version diverges from others. I also study the appearance or absence of certain fairy tale elements and try to reflect upon the motivation of the occurring changes. I analyse the role of the main female characters – the lady/princess, the evil fairy, the other woman – and introduce the character development they underwent (if they did). My purpose is to observe the significant changes the Sleeping Beauty tale went through, mainly contrasting the manifestation of the curse (casting and breaking the curse). Moreover, I investigate the representation of the female characters in the stories and examine how the stereotypes concerning gender roles have transformed throughout history.