Evil Queens

There was a discussion a while back about evil queens, and there was an argument made that the queens were seen as evil for defending their power, whereas a man would not. (Included in this was the argument that the White Witch really wasn’t that bad because no one was starving. She’s also the villainess of a children’s book; she’s not going to be Cersei Lannister.)

Can I call B.S.?

Generally evil queens earn the qualifier on their own merits.

Here’s an example. Maleficent is my favorite Disney villainess. Even her name is awesome. Is she evil because she wears black with a horned headdress? Is she evil because she has minions and a castle? Is she evil because she turns into a dragon? No. She targeted an infant because she felt insulted, put her under a spell that would have killed her, then hunted the girl down and imprisoned the prince to ensure her curse was fulfilled. That is why she is evil.

A queen is not considered evil for the simple fact of defending her throne. Queen Elizabeth I repeatedly defended her throne throughout her reign, but she is one of the most beloved queens of history. She is not considered evil for executing her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, when Mary kept attempting to seize power. Elizabeth allowed Mary every chance to live before Mary crossed the line for the last time.

Less well known, Athalia was a true evil queen from the past. When her husband died she had all of her rivals, including her own children and grandchildren, slaughtered to secure her position. Only one grandchild escaped. When the boy was brought out six years later and crowned, no one lifted a finger in Athalia’s defense. The only objection was in saying she shouldn’t be executed before the temple – on holy ground. Athalia's mother made a name for herself as an evil queen too. You might have heard of her. Her name was Jezebel.

Similarly, kings equally earn the “evil" designation. Think Richard III, with his own list of eliminated rivals, including two young princes whose remains were discovered under a staircase in the Tower of London. Shakespeare’s rendition may be a little embellished, but Richard III’s recently exhumed corpse shows signs of post-mortem injuries, including a dagger to the buttocks. This is not how one treats a respected king.

Heck, Prince/King John of Robin Hood fame is considered evil for not only usurping his brother's throne, but for being incompetent at it. He doesn't even have a body count to his name (at least in most tellings).

History is full of both good and evil queens, as is literature. It is the choices they make that determine if they are viewed as good or evil, hero or villain. Most stories have both, of either gender. After all, there’s only two genders to choose from but thousands of characters.