Example Of The Femme Fatale Character example essay topic

The femme fatale, a seductive woman who entices men into perilous and compromising positions by way of charisma and mystery, is a classic, and often enthralling, character who can be found in many sources of literature and mythology of various origins and eras ("Femme Fatale" 1)". If the goddess of virtue is a lily and the vamp is an overripe red rose, the femme fatale is a Venus flytrap". (Billinghurst 1). In the simple quote above, Ms. Jane Billinghurst, author of "Temptress", provides explanation of the femme fatale by way of metaphor, likening the way in which the Venus flytrap, or Dion aea muscipula, succeeds in obtaining its next meal by way of temptation to the likeness of the femme fatale, using temptation to secure her victims, thus leading to unescapable doom (Venus's fly-trap 1)".

Temptress", whose pages and cover alike overflow with a lavish visual collection of photographs, paintings and illustrations of the femme fatale, examines the extraordinary and fascinating history of sexual, or sexual ised, women and the journey taken in receiving the infamous title of the femme fatale. This symbolic figure exists in numerous varying forms and can be found in virtually every society or culture throughout history. It is the femme fatale's infamous aura of mystery, temptation and charms that provides the intense magnetism of this deadly female character. One of the most noted and greatly debated fatale characters of literature can be found in the Bible: Eve". And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man... And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living". (Genesis 2: 21 - 3: 20). Often viewed as the original and ultimate femme fatale, Eve has come to bear such a title because of her involvement in the fall of humankind and, in turn, the introduction of sin, death and destruction into the world. It is Eve herself who succumbs to the influence of temptation with the persuasion of the evil serpent, which represents Satan, in the Garden of Eden and therefore brings about Adam's downfall:" And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat... And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return". (Genesis 3: 6 - 3: 19). The use of Eve's great beauty and sexuality, characteristics of the femme fatale, are what ultimately tempts Adam to eat the forbidden fruit, dooming himself to an eternity of pain, suffering, sin and death (Hass 1). Although numerous scholars view Eve as the principle true fatale, some consider another character of Jewish belief to be the initial femme fatale ever noted in literature and mythology: Lilith.

According to Jewish myth, Lilith was Adam's first wife. She was a strong woman and was reckoned both sexual and in control (Humm 1). One of the first manifestations of Lilith comes from "The Alphabet of Ben Sira", an anthology of eleventh century proverbs. The anecdote of Lilith can also be found in some rhetoric Jewish mythology (Stern and Mirsky 1). As stated in "The Alphabet of Ben Sira", God created Adam.

From the earth he created a companion for Adam: a woman - Lilith. Adam and Lilith immediately began to fight. She said, "I will not lie below", (Stern and Mirsky 1). He replied, "I will not lie beneath you, but only on top. For you are fit only to be in the bottom position, while I am to be the superior one". (Stern and Mirsky 1).

Lilith responded, "We are equal to each other inasmuch as we were both created from the earth". (Stern and Mirsky 1). Lilith was created from clay by God, just like her spouse, and was therefore more his equal, unlike Eve who was born of Adam's rib (Humm 1). Lilith exhibits her dominant independence, a key element of the femme fatale character, by leaving Adam as a result of the couple's sexual incompatibility (Graves 65-69).

Lilith has also been related to the evil serpent who brought temptation to Eve in the Garden of Eden, under the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" (Stern and Mirsky 1). Many artworks of the 15th Century contain images of Lilith depicted as the evil serpent. One such piece is Bosch's "Paradise" (1510) ( (Appendix A). Lilith's poetic image graces the surfaces of many canvases and can be viewed in works such as John Collier's, "Lilith" (1892) (Appendix C). Mention of Lilith has also been located in poetry, for example, "A Sea-Spell" by Rossetti". A Sea-Spell" (Appendix F), contains imagery which can be directly associated to this Siren-like form of Lilith, making Rossetti's work deserving of reflection (Megrez 43).

As present in "A Sea-Spell", both precise Lilith images and Lilith-related topics are notable in the sonnet. The direct reference to Lilith begins the piece with the line: "Her lute hangs shadowed in the apple-tree" (Rossetti 1) This representation is significant in referral to Lilith's providing of temptation to Eve under the "apple-tree", the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The character of Lilith is represented as a beautiful Siren who weaves her magic, ensnaring and slaying men (Rossetti 1). Although "A Sea-Spell" certainly does not represent Lilith alone, the siren is nonetheless attractive, seductive, and fatal -- desirable and feared -- all characteristics, which, in Rossetti's world, portray the glorious, and everlasting femme fatale. Another temptress from the Old Testament is Delilah, a Philistine woman from the valley of Sore. According to the fable, Delilah betrayed Samson the Nazarite by using deception to force him into unintentionally revealing his "archiles' heel" - the secret of his immense strength residing in his hair (Van Kampen 1)".

When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, "Come back once more; he has told me everything". So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him". (Judges 13: 3-13: 5) While Samson slept, Delilah is said to have cut his hair, causing the loss of Samson's great power and eventually resulting in his capture, blindness and ultimately his death at the hands of his foes (Van Kamen 1). Delilah's name is still associated with treachery and voluptuary to this day and her image can still be found in many forms of artwork, such as "Samson and Delilah" by Sir Anthony van Dyck (Appendix B).

But it is not only in Biblical tales that the femme fatale exists. Cleopatra is another archetypal example of a "dark temptress" from ancient times. Cleopatra embodies the femme fatale character as a result of her ambition, charm and sexual prowess. After marrying her brother Ptolemy XII in 51 BC at seventeen years of age, Cleopatra then led a rebellion against him with the support of Julius Caesar in 48 BC.

After Ptolemy XII met his demise in 47 BC, Cleopatra went on to wed another of her male siblings, Ptolemy X and became the mistress of Julius Caesar, cunningly travelling to him in a rolled up carpet to avoid being caught by her husband (Kjeilen 1). After Caesar's murder on the 15th of March 44 BC, Cleopatra returned to Egypt and captured the heart of Marc Antony, marrying him in 36 BC, viewing the marriage as a way of restoring her power over the Egyptian throne (Kjeilen 1). Both Marc Anthony and Cleopatra ultimately committed suicide; although this key incident in Cleopatra's life is not for what the mysterious Egyptian is renown, but for her powerful and ruthless character and enthralling nature (Kjeilen 1). Another example of the femme fatale character is the Succubus of European folklore. Masquerading as an attractive maiden, this repulsive hag descends upon sleeping male victims, engaging them in sexual activity and causing the creatures' victims to suffer poor sleep, nightmares and fatigue (Succubus 1). The Siren of Greek mythology is also legendary for corrupting men.

Half woman, half bird, these creatures are said to lure sailors to their demise by intoxicating the men with their sweet song. Generally believed to be the daughters of the Sea god, Phorcys, these predatory creatures are said to have developed from the early legends of exploration combined with the oriental "bird woman", and are sometimes associated with the Harpies of Greco-Roman mythology ("Siren" 404079). Also associated with the Greek Siren is the Lorelei, a creature of German mythology, and is an excellent example of the femme fatale in mythology. The legend is said to be of a beautiful maiden who drowned herself in despair over the heartache of a faithless lover. Transformed into a siren, the beautiful Lorelei is renown for her ability to lure fishermen to their watery graves ("Lorelei" 395854). Legends, tales and artwork all containing mermaids have been discovered in countless cultures, including Anglo-Saxon and Greek mythology.

In the Medieval era, mermaids became the mythological personification of the femme fatale, luring helpless men into their watery abode with promises of ecstasy (McCrory 1)". However, it is not delight but death, the story tellers warn, that waits those who accept the mermaid's lure". (Billinghurst 37). The Christian Church saw the mermaid as the mortal emblem of sin: the femme fatale (The History of Mermaids 3). In the 1940's, the quintessence of the femme fatale thrived in modern pop culture with the introduction of the cinematic genre, film noir (Hass 1). Bette jane (Jane) Greer (Appendix D) is a prime example of the femme fatale in film noir.

Greer, who was renown for her air of erotica and lethal presence on the silver screen, starred in such films as "Dick Tracy" in 1945 and "The Falcon's Alibi" in 1946 (Mills 1). Unlike many of the frivolous semi-goddesses of the silver screen, Greer embodied the femme fatale character almost perfectly on screen. The beautiful dark-haired temptress did not depend on parody-like flirtations to win her roles, but on her sexiness resulting from complete cunning, providing her with the appeal and dark attraction of the bona fide femme fatale (Mills 2). The femme fatale can be located in a wide range of mediums, including stage productions. The infamous - and often deemed cursed - Elizabethan play by legendary playwright William Shakespeare, Macbeth, provides a first class example of the femme fatale in one of the play's key characters, Lady Macbeth. Female characters in Macbeth play a fundamental role in the play as a result of their behaviour and manipulative influence on the conduct of the other characters.

The femme fatale and the wicked nature of women is portrayed through the dialogue, actions and persuasion of the male characters. For example, Lady Macbeth says to her husband, Macbeth: "When you durst do it, then you were a man; And, to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man. Nor time nor place Did then adhere, and yet you would make both... " (Shakespeare 1, 7 lines 49-52). Lady Macbeth is the principal example of the femme fatale being utilised in Macbeth as it is she who provides the iniquitous influence on her husband Macbeth that evidently causes him to rise to great power, only to inescapably plummet to his ultimate destruction. ". ... yet do I fear thy nature; It is too full o' the milk of human kindness To catch the nearest way: thou wouldst be great; Art not without ambition, but without The illness should attend it: what thou wouldst highly, That wouldst thou holily; wouldst not play false, And yet wouldst wrongly win: thou " last have, great Glam is, That which cries 'Thus thou must do, if thou have it; And that which rather thou dost fear to do Than wish est should be undone.

' Hie thee hither, That I may pour my spirits in thine ear; And chastise with the valour of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round, Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem To have thee crown'd withal". (Shakespeare 1, 5 lines 15-29). Lady Macbeth's initial appearance, and that in which she is primarily introduced into the play, is in Act One, Scene Five of Shakespeare's "Macbeth". She first appears on stage reading a letter received from her husband in which he provides an explanation of the witches' prophecy, that he shall become king. In an almost immediate decision that her husband must murder Duncan, the present king of Scotland, in order to claim the throne for himself, she decides to pressure Macbeth, and ultimately offers to murder the King of Scotland herself:" He that's coming Must be provided for: and you shall put This night's great business into my dispatch; Which shall to all our nights and days to come Give solely sovereign sway and master dom... Only look up clear; To alter favour ever is to fear: Leave all the rest to me" (Shakespeare 1, 5 lines 65-72).

In an attempt to ward off any lingering impediment of conscience she may possess, she conjures the evil spirits, begging: "Unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top full Of direst cruelty". (Shakespeare 1, 5 lines 40-43). Here, Lady Macbeth confesses her desire to possess enough cruelty in order for her to murder her king and just how prepared she is to go to any lengths to achieve her goal. It seems Lady Macbeth not only possesses enough wanton evil to kill another human being herself, but also to impose the penalties of such an act upon another.

Taking advantage of Macbeth's moral weakness, she uses her sexuality and seductive nature to compel her husband to murder Duncan. "Was the hope drunk Wherein you dress'd yourself? hath it slept since? And wakes it now, to look so green and pale At what it did so freely? From this time Such I account thy love. Art thou afeard To be the same in thine own act and valour As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that Which thou esteem " st the ornament of life, And live a coward in thine own esteem, Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,' Like the poor cat i' the adage?" (Shakespeare 1, 7 lines 35-44).

Lady Macbeth demands that her husband see to the proceedings of the murder according to her evil design, saying:" He that's coming Must be provided for; and you shall put This night's great business into my dispatch". (Shakespeare 1, 5 lines 65-67). Macbeth acquiesces to her desire, surrendering his morality and sanity, and evidently permitting her malevolence to triumph over his commonsense. It is Lady Macbeth, the play's femme fatale, who brings about her husband's ultimate demise. J.R. R Tolkien, world famous author of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, also takes advantage of the femme fatale character in the trilogy made legendary worldwide by Peter Jackson's cinematic renditions of the books. The key femme fatale character in the Lord of the Rings is Eowyn of the Riddermark, whose first appearance is in "The Two Towers", the second title in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Eowyn of the Riddermark bears many characteristics of the femme fatale, and as such, provides a connection between women who love and kill. 'It seemed to me that I saw a white flower standing straight and proud, shapely as a lily, and yet knew that it was hard, as if wrought by elf-wrights out of steel. Or was it, maybe, a frost that had turned its sap to ice, and so it stood, bitter-sweet, still fair to see... ' (Tolkien 193).

Eowyn's great beauty and womanly confidence led Aragorn to see her as a cold and distant maiden at their first meeting. During the War of the Ring, Eowyn, on meeting her would-be saviour, Aragorn, falls in love with him, only to discover her love cannot be returned as he is bound to another: the Elven Arwen. At this discovery Eowyn decides to go to battle - and her almost death. Although Eowyn is a shield maiden of the Riddermark and, as such, would be well equipped with the sword skills needed in order to defend herself, as a woman in her society, she is not permitted to ride in battle: "All your words are but to say: you are a woman, and your part is in the house.

But when the men have died in battle and honour, you have leave to be burned in the house, for the men will need it no more. But I am of the House of E orl and not a serving-woman. I can ride and wield blade, and I do not fear either pain or death". (Tolkien TROTK 58). With the distress of being denied the right to fight for those she loves, 'Eowyn, under the guise of a male "Rider of the Mark", fights alongside the Rohirrim at Pelennor Fields. There, she achieves the greatest recognition a warrior can gain, and does what no man could possibly do.

When confronted by the Witch-King of Ang mar, Eowyn gallantly exclaims:" No living man am I! You look upon a woman. 'Eowyn I am, 'Eomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin.

Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him". (Tolkien TROTK 116). Eowyn has become known to the literary world as a character of strength, intelligence and beauty. She is a woman of action, not of passive waiting for what may befall her. As a result, Eowyn is one of the better-known femme fatale's of English literature.

Perhaps one of the most famous poems in English literature, which deals with the femme fatale is John Keats' poetic works titled "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" Appendix G). In "La Belle Dame Sans Merci", the doomed male character is a knight who meets a "Lady in the meads" (Bengson 1), instantaneously falling in love with her. They spend the day together, but all the while she is drawing him closer to his death. The knight receives warning in a dream that he has fallen under the beautiful maiden's enchantment and eventually, he is left alone and dying. during the poem, the "Lady" is portrayed as a supernatural being, a "fairy's child" (Bengson 1). Just as the kings and warriors of old warn the doomed soul, she captures the knight, As the kings and warriors warn the knight in his dream, she captures the knight and he shall met his demise, much like the others she has taken "in thrall". (Bengson 1).

Keats' works have been transformed to canvas by many artists, including John William Waterhouse (Appendix E). Lastly, it is the works of Carol O'Connell that provide a wonderful example of the femme fatale - the always scheming, seductively "bad girl" - who is hell bent on revenge. Carol O'Connell's "Flight of the Stone Angel" provides a key femme fatale character in Kathleen Mallory, the novel's prime character. Mallory, whose mother was stoned to death years earlier, has been planning her revenge for years.

The fact that her method of revenge is both fiercely designed and utterly horrifying simply adds just cause for Mallory to bear the title of femme fatale. It is principally the cold, bitter soul of the always-mesmerizing Kathleen Mallory that gains the strongest link to the psychotic seductress type known to literature as the femme fatale (O'Connell). Throughout history the beautiful woman has been adored, loved, praised, and, by some, envied. Men worship what society has defined as an attractive woman. Many times, men even envision these women as supernatural or mystical beings. They have become the focus and subjects of many paintings, poems, legends, tales and stories, and have caused great debate.

Considered not only as material beauties, they are often viewed as seductresses who tempt "innocent" men to their doom. These seductive beauties are labelled femme fatale's, women who entice men with their charms and mystery. Such a character is classic, and alluring, and can be found in many sources of literature and mythology (Hass 1). The femme fatale has survived centuries of time, change and movement, and still this female beauty can be found in uncountable forms of literature and mythology. She has survived the turn of civilisation in almost every culture known to human kind, and will continue to live within the psyches of human kind.