Beauty and the Beast - Cocteau vs. De Beaumont

The primary difference I saw between  the de Beaumont version of the story and the film version by Cocteau was the existence of the arrogant suitor, Avenant.  In the text version, he does not exist, whereas in the film he is created as a rival for the relationship between Belle/Beauty and the Beast.  I saw the existence of this character as more of a testament to the change in format than anything else.  Film plotlines, even early films, are generally much more streamlined than their textual counterparts.  Avenant encapsulates the idea of a marriage for all the wrong reasons--appearance, wealth, status, etc.  In the book version, this idea is illustrated by the cruel sisters, who serve as foils to Belle's virtuous nature.  However, though the awfulness of the sisters is evident in the story, imposing these ideas in the form of an active antagonist heightens the dramatic tension in the film.  With these traits rolled into a character, the central conflict for Belle is much more evident; the decision she has to make is much clearer.

It is also notable that at the end of the transformation scene in the film, the handsome prince has the chiseled features of Avenant but not his boorish behavior.  It could be said that the two mean, rivals for Belle's hand, represent two sides of the same coin--the question of what constitutes a happy marriage.