“This it is when men are ruled by women”. The Evil of Queenship in Shakespeare

Abstract

In fairy tales the wicked stepmother ultimately finds a terrible death to punish her for her evil deeds. The Queen in Shakespeare’s late romance Cymbeline fits the bill. But something similar happens to Tamara in Titus Andronicus, who takes revenge on her martyred son. Indeed, queens in these plays are targeted as monstrous whenever they insist on following their political ambitions. In the history plays Queen Margaret is slandered by the Yorkists, because she will not cede to them the throne that she believes is rightfully her son’s. Lady Macbeth, in turn, is called a “fiend-like queen” by Duncan’s son Malcolm, after he has reclaimed the throne. In all cases – as my article will demonstrate – the notion of evil is used as a weapon to harness, manage and contain feminine power.