In a distant swamp lives a powerful creature known as the monster Shrek, who is feared by others. He prefers a solitary life—grumpy in temperament but kind at heart. To drive away the horde of fairy-tale characters who have been banished to the forest near his home by the evil and diminutive Lord Farquaad, Shrek strikes a deal with Farquaad: rescue the beautiful Princess Fiona from a tower, and Farquaad will return his swamp to peace, while Farquaad himself can marry Fiona and become king. Along the way, Shrek meets a talkative, never‑silent donkey who becomes his companion, and together they set off to save the princess. Shrek defeats a fire‑breathing dragon, but the dragon develops a crush on Donkey. On the journey back after rescuing Fiona, Shrek and the princess grow fond of each other. However, Donkey is the first to discover the beautiful princess’s secret: Princess Fiona was cursed by a terrifying spell—every night when the curse takes effect, she turns into a monster, only reverting to her human form at dawn. After learning this, the king and queen sought help from the Fairy Godmother, who told them to lock the princess in a high tower and wait for a brave prince on a white horse to rescue her and give her a kiss, which would break the curse and restore her permanently. On the very night Donkey learns this secret, Shrek decides to confess his feelings to Fiona. Unfortunately, after overhearing part of their conversation, he misunderstands and believes Fiona despises his monstrous appearance, so he gives up on confessing. After Shrek delivers Fiona to Farquaad, he returns to his peaceful swamp home. But when Donkey reveals the truth to him, Shrek decides to win back the princess. With the dragon’s help, Shrek ultimately defeats Farquaad and regains Princess Fiona’s heart. However, when he kisses Fiona (since Shrek is not a prince on a white horse), she does not revert to her original beautiful appearance—instead, she remains forever in her monster form. But that does not affect Shrek’s love for her. From then on, the two live happily together.