It seems that one of the common themes found throughout the tellings of these renditions of Beauty and the Beast. These stories, being in fashion with the times, are used to teach the children about sacrificing themselves and their personal pleasures for the family. In "the Pig King" is this most apparent.
In the "Pig King" Straparola showes what happens when doesn't obey their parents, as well as what happens when someone does. First, the first daughter is killed when she tries to kill the pig. Her mother, and the queen, both asked and begged the first daughter to take and marry this pig and "do not consider him, but think of the king and me." She defies all of them by the fact that she is stuck with a pig. She tries to kill him because he is a 'foul beast.' The result of all of this is the death of her. A similar fate happens to the second daughter.
The third daughter is the one who does right by everyone. When the queen offers Melinda her son, she accepts and was "quite content to do as the queen asked her." She has to endure the advances of a filthy pig, and even sleep with him. What is the result of her willingness to do all of this? the pig turns into a handsome prince, and the two live happily ever after.
The others reinforce this theme. In "Beauty and the Beast" Beauty sacrifices her life for her fathers just so she can have "the pleasure of saving my father and proving my feelings of tenderness for him." In "the Frog King" the young princess must obey her own promise to the Frog. Even her father says to her "When you make a promise, you must keep it." So she is forced to sacrifice herself for honesty, and her father.
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