Webster’s unabridged 2nd edition- a woman who tempts or entices; especially sexually.

Urban dictionary.com- a woman who is considered to be dangerously seductive

According to Jane Billinghurst, author of Temptress: From the Original Bad Girls to Women on Top, men created the idea of the temptress - an irresistible woman bent on bringing them down - to justify the fact that they so often surrender to women, especially in the bedroom.

What is a Temptress??

Ancient Post-Modern Today

Temptress TimelineHelen of Troy

Annabelle Bransford- MaverickEve

CleopatraGrendel's mother-Beowulf

Madonna

Daisy

Abigail Williams

Romeo

Eve- She was the first, though it wasn’t completely her fault when she was tempted by the snake, but she basically ruined it for all humans and got herself and Adam banished from the Garden of Eden. The Bible so wisely warns us to resist the temptations of the flesh

Cleopatra- A temptress of Power, got Mark Antony and Julius Caesar to fight over her because she was the queen of Egypt and they wanted that alliance for their own empires.

Helen of Troy- Temptress of beauty, she could get any man she wanted because she was so fair, and actually caused two wars because of it.

Ancient Temptresses

Ancient Post-Modern Today

Temptress TimelineHelen of Troy

Annabelle Bransford- MaverickEve

CleopatraGrendel's mother-Beowulf

Madonna

Daisy

Abigail Williams

Romeo

Daisy : Great Gatsby 

Abigail Williams: The Crucible

Romeo- Romeo and Juliet

Post-Modern Temptresses

Ancient Post-Modern Today

Temptress TimelineHelen of Troy

Annabelle Bransford- MaverickEve

CleopatraGrendel's mother

Madonna

Daisy

Abigail Williams

Romeo

Grendel’s mother- She asks Beowulf to give her a son and the Horn of Hrothgar, and in return she will give Beowulf fortune and keep Heorot safe. Beowulf gives in to her temptations after she melts Hrunting with her hands

Madonna- Alex Rodriguez scandal- why he got divorced… her songs, lyrics, and music videos all suggest a more seductive, sensual lifestyle

Annabelle Bransford- Maverick (1994) sleeps with Maverick (Mel Gibson) and attempts to steal his winnings from a poker game. Throughout the movie, she is trying to seduce men so she can get their money to play poker herself and gets into trouble, only to have a man bail her out because of her unbelievable charm, and well… the way she flaunts her assets and uses them to her advantage against men

Today’s Temptresses

Money is a symbol for the temptress because she is attracted to men who are prosperous. Once the temptress finds her victim she seduces him, and after she has him under her spell she strikes. In many instances the temptress will marry the prosperous man, and then kill him...inheriting all his wealth. Another name for the temptress when she does this is the Black Widow or a Gold Digger considering that is what she is after, not the man himself. The man is seen as a game; and if the man (the game) is played right, then that women wins the wealth and success.

Another symbol of this archetype is a Vampire. Vampires drink human blood, and often times seduce their victims and then bring them back to their home. Once in their home they drink their victim's blood. This represents the temptress because the temptress, just like the vampire, puts a "spell" over her victims and then takes what she wants...which is normally wealth or power, but in the vampire's case it is blood.

Symbols of Archetype

Temptress in Ancient Times-- the Philistine mistress of Samson who betrayed him by cutting off his hair and so deprived him of his strength-- Helen of Troy-- Delilah- The Bible -- Aphrodite  -- Eve & the snake- The Bible Temptress in Post Modernism~Daisy : Great Gatsby ~Abigail Williams: The Crucible ~Romeo

Temptress: One who steers a character from their path. Most of the time the temptress is attempting is only looking to their own interest. Not always, a temptress can accidently cause harm unto another. Mostly a female character, but a male can also take some one off their path.

The temptress is a very important because they can be responsible for the demise of the main character or at least adding a twist to the story

 

Female characters use their feminine powers and personalities to destroy