Bluebeard Summary

Bluebeard tells the story of a young woman marries Lord Bluebeard, a four time widow. Bluebeard tells his new bride that his wives are buried in the cemetery and died of natural causes. The theme of naivety is seen as the girl doesn't question the peculiarity of all of his wives dying so abruptly and believes him. After marrying, Bluebeard leaves her whilst he leaves for a few weeks, leaving her with a set of keys. He allows her complete access to his castle, except for the use of the smallest key. However, curiosity overcomes the girl and she uses the key which he told her not too, opening a chamber in which she finds all his deceased wives have been strangled. She then runs from the chamber but drops the key in blood, she tries desperately to wash off the blood but it is impossible. Bluebeard then returns early from his trip away and finds she is uneasy. The next day he asks for his keys back, when she hands them over he sees the blood and knows what she has done and tells her she must die like his other wives. The girl asks for ten minutes to live which he grants. Her sister has visited and the girl runs to her and asks her if her brothers are arriving, as they promised to come and see her that day. Her sister replies that she has not seen them. Bluebeard then shouts up to the tower where his wife and her sister are, that the ten minutes are over and she must die. She came down and knelt imploring that he would not kill her. Bluebeard raised his knife but just before he could kill the girl, her two brothers killed him. Afterwards the dead wives were given a proper Christian burial and the girl met a new man and married him.