A femme fatale is defined as a woman of great seductive
charm who leads men into compromising and or dangerous situations.
This iconic figure has existed in one form or another in nearly
all cultures throughout history. She makes one of her earliest
and most profound appearances in Biblical myth, under several
different guises. But probably the most talked about and debated
fatale character from the Bible is Eve.
Eve is viewed as a famous femme fatale because she brought
about the fall of humankind and in turn introduced sin and
death into the world. She succumbs to the temptation of the
serpent in the Garden of Eden and is responsible for Adam's
fall. She tempts him with her beauty and sexuality to eat
the forbidden fruit. God recognizes Adam and Eves' transgressions
and punishes them accordingly. Eve is condemned to pain during
childbirth and subordination to men. Adam is cursed with having
to toil and suffer for sustenance by working the land. Although
many academics view Eve as the first true fatale, some believe
another character of Jewish tradition is more fitting to the
role: this woman is Lilith.
In Jewish legend, Lilith is Adam's first wife, and she is
both sexual and in control. Unlike Eve who was born of Adam's
rib, God created Lilith from clay, just like her mate, and
is therefore more his equal. Lilith demonstrates her independence,
a key feature of the femme fatale, by leaving Adam because
of their sexual incompatibility. According to legend, Adam
and Lilith fight because Adam only wants sex in the missionary
position and Lilith doesn't enjoy this submissive role.
She leaves Adam and flies away to the bank of the Red Sea
where she is found by the angels of God having demonic sex.
The first appearance of Lilith is said to come from The
Alphabet of Ben Sira, a collection of proverbs from the
11th century. She is also present in some oral Jewish mythology.
Delilah is another character from the Old Testament regarded
as a temptress. She is a Philistine from the valley of Sorek
who betrays Samson, the Nazirite. Delilah tricks Samson into
revealing that the secret of his extreme strength lies in
his long shiny hair. Then, while he was sleeping, Delilah
cuts his hair, forcing him to loose his power, which leads
to his capture at the hands of his enemies. To this day, Delilah's
name is equated with voluptuary and treachery.
The femme fatale hasn't only existed in Biblical tales: Cleopatra
is another classic example of a "Dark Lady" from
antiquity. Cleopatra represents the femme fatale because of
her ambition, charm and sexual prowess. She married her brother
Ptolemy XII at the age of 17. She then led a revolt against
him with the aid of Julius Caesar. Cleopatra went on to marry
a second brother and she became theof Caesar, whom she followed to Rome from Egypt.
After the murder of Caesar, Cleopatra returned to Egypt and
won over the heart of Marc Anthony. She saw her marriage to
Anthony as a way of reestablishing power over the Egyptian
throne. Both Marc Anthony and Cleopatra eventually committed
suicide, but she is not remembered for this, but for her strong
character and alluring nature.
Another example of the fatale character is Succubus of European
folklore. She is a hag disguised as a beautiful woman who
engages in sexual activity with sleeping men, causing them
to have horrible dreams that leave them fatigued. The hag
is thought by some scholars to have evolved from the primitive
nature goddesses.
The Siren of Greek mythology is also legendary for corrupting
men. These creatures are half woman and half birds who lure
sailors to death by intoxicating them with songs. Sirens are
generally believed to be the daughters of the sea God Phorcys
or of the river God Achelous. These predatory creatures evolve
from the early tales of exploration mixed with the Oriental
birdwoman, and they are sometimes linked to the Harpies of
Greco-Roman mythology.
In the 1940s, the archetype of the femme fatale flourished
in contemporary pop culture with the introduction of film
noir. This woman is a stable of the film genre, and she represents
the liberation and power gained by females throughout the
Second World War: she is sexy, duplicitous and often ruthless.
While the women of earlier screwball comedies and studio
musicals worked to reaffirm social values through marriage,
the femme fatale refuses to be bound to the domestic sphere
prescribed to her by mainstream society. She rejects marital
duties and embraces a life of complete independence—often
smoking and drinking. The femme fatale uses her sexual powers
to string the male protagonist of the film through a labyrinth
of lies.
Film noir rarely portrays the image of a healthy marriage
or a traditional nuclear family, and this leads the viewer
to see the femme fatale as a logical product of her deviant
environment. Yet in order to reinstate the status quo, the
femme fatale must ultimately die by the end of the film. She
must pay the price of promiscuity, and her transgression of
social norms, with her life.
Today, the femme fatale still exists in popular film, literature
and politics. This character is constantly metamorphosizing
to represent the social views of the times and will continue
to do so. She remains an example of female independence and
a threat to traditional female gender roles.