The seductress character archetype uses her sexuality to get what she wants, placing people under the spell of her charms. This character archetype uses her charm so instinctively that she can’t imagine any other way to get the things she needs.
The Quest for Power
To this archetype, seduction is power, and supersedes all other aims. She is an assertive character, knowing what she wants and what she needs.
She desires to control every situation, and is inventive with ways to gain and retain her power. If her plans go awry, she is intelligent enough to adapt and change, quickly and stay strong.
The seductress will always rise from the ashes and dust herself off, ready for another round. Even after losing everything at the end of Gone With the Wind, Scarlett was still able to say, “Tomorrow is another day.”
Relationships
The seductress bases relationships on chimera and deceit, making it impossible to have an honest, close friendship. She guards her secrets closely, trusts no one, and manipulates others to reveal their secrets and weaknesses. She plays on their secret desires to attain her goals.
Relationships are only worth what she can get out of them. Once a relationship can’t give her what she needs, she moves on. Most often portrayed as a man-hunter, the seductress can also be homosexual or bisexual.
She will be a mistress if it's profitable. She’s in it for the jewels, clothes, vacations, and money. Men think she is a dream woman, because she knows how to make them feel like royalty. If she marries, it will be to the man with the most money and power, but she’ll never lose her heart to him.
Chameleon-Like Qualities
She is a chameleon, changing to fit each person’s dreams and desires. She does this even to the point of lying to herself and not even realizing that she’s lying. She may not even be aware of why she acts the way she does, but she knows her sexuality gets results.
She plays the part of the dumb blonde as an effective ruse, because the seductress can get away with so much before her victims realize she is smart enough to pull one over on them.
Seductress as the Protagonist
The seductress makes a good spy character. However, she won’t hesitate to turn to the other side if the price is right. Mata Hari is the epitome of the spy seductress.
As an entertainer, she uses her allure to gain fame and fortune. Beyonce and Madonna have both risen to the top of the music industry, selling the allure of sexuality with their music.
Examples include Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind, The Sixes on Battlestar Galactica, and even the seemingly innocent Miss Peach of The Avengers. Other examples include white witches, nature goddesses, Aphrodite, and Cleopatra.
Seductress as the Antagonist
As the antagonist, the seductress archetype comes across as evil and wily like the Queen in Snow White. She doesn’t care who she hurts or damages along the way to her goal, because she is only using the tools she has been given to survive. Wallis Simpson is a seductress who almost tore apart a kingdom in her quest for power.
A seductress makes a convincing murderer or sociopath. Using her chameleon-like ways, she would be the last person suspected of a crime. She would be able to obtain inside information from an investigator.
This archetype can also be used to create an evil witch character, an embezzler, a high priced prostitute, or many other characters living on the fringes of society.
Whether she is the protagonist or antagonist, the seductress in a novel is a professional in the art of love, deceit, and getting what she wants.
More characters archetypes to read about:
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