Let’s take a moment to recognize the most elegant and underappreciated villain in all of fairy tale lore: the wicked queen from Snow White. Now I know what you’re thinking: that lady? The one who gets her validation from a talking mirror and tries to murder a sweet innocent princess out of jealousy? Yes. That’s exactly the lady I’m talking about.
To be clear, the women is definitely a villain. I don’t support her morals or anything, but if you dive into the original version of Little Snow White, you’ll find that there’s a lot more to this wicked queen than meets the eye. In fact, I can think of five reasons why I actually admire her.
1. She Wields Power in a World Obsessed with Appearances
In most discussions about the wicked queen, people get really stuck on her vanity. To be fair, the Grimm Brothers described her as “proud and haughty, and she could not bear that any one else should surpass her in beauty.” But I have a theory about that. What if the queen’s quest to be the fairest of all had less to do with vanity and more to do with respect?
Back in the Grimms’ time period, women didn’t have much power at all. They were essentially property, and their level of beauty often decided how rich and powerful of a husband they could attract. Clearly the wicked queen’s looks earned her a marriage to the king himself. But now that she’s become a public, powerful figure, suddenly a more beautiful rival surfaces—one with royal blood. Beyond feeling envious, the queen probably fears losing her position of favor with both her husband and her kingdom.
Honestly I see the wicked queen as so much more than a shallow woman. She’s focused on her appearance because she knows that society values her looks above all else. She has plenty of characteristics worthy of admiration, but she was also raised to believe that her beauty is the most valuable weapon she has. And that being beautiful is synonymous with being successful and happy. I think any woman can relate to that feeling. For that relatability alone, I give props to this wicked queen.
2. She Goes After What She Wants
You’ve got to hand it to her, the wicked queen doesn’t take her situation lying down. She doesn’t cry or eat her weight in sugar-plum pies. She doesn’t waste energy looking for the fountain of youth or investing in expensive skincare hoaxes to preempt future wrinkles. Rather than moping or trying to change herself, she decides to take out the competition.
The second she realizes Snow White is a threat, the queen enlists a mercenary to take that brat out. And when that plot fails, she perseveres three more times. You’re probably familiar with the poisoned apple from the Disney movie. In the Grimms’ version she uses a suffocating set of laces, a poisonous hair comb, and the poisoned apple. Basically the woman pulls out every trick, spell, deception, and ounce of determination to kill this kid.
Her wicked plans ultimately fail, but I’ve gotta give credit where it’s due. This woman does not give up! And frankly she’s the most active female character in any fairy tale I can think of. Even if the wicked queen’s intentions are less than pure, I admire that level of tenacity.
3. The Wicked Queen Isn’t Afraid to Get Dirty
In this series of murder attempts, you have to respect just how hands-on and ruthless this queen is willing to get. When she sends the huntsman to do the deed first, she doesn’t tell him just to kill the girl. She orders him to bring back Snow White’s bleeding heart as evidence that the child is dead. There are some versions of Snow White where she requires the girl’s liver and lungs instead, but no matter what body parts she receives, the wicked queen eats them with salt to celebrate her victory.
How can I not respect a villain who literally eats the hearts of her enemies? This woman is HARD CORE.
When she discovers the huntsman’s lies, the queen steps in to get the job done herself. She may be gorgeous, but she’s also a skilled sorceress. She uses dark magic to track down Snow White, and the queen certainly isn’t above disguising herself as an ugly old peddler to eliminate the girl. This queen’s resourcefulness, magical powers, and drive all seem like the opposite of a spoiled, petty beauty queen. I don’t care what anyone says: this wicked queen is willing to do what it takes to win, including leaving the safety of her palace walls and getting her hands dirty. I can’t help but respect that.
4. She Never Wastes Energy
Snow White is not exactly the sharpest tool in the fairy tale shed. To be fair, she’s only seven years old in the original story, and she’s the embodiment of innocence, kindness, and purity. Even so, the original Snow White is pretty dumb. The wicked queen tries to kill her THREE TIMES. And Snow White falls into every single trap even though the ruses are embarrassingly similar.
First the queen sells her some pretty laces and ties Snow White’s corset so tight that she drops dead. When that doesn’t work, the wicked queen dons a new disguise and sells the girl a poisoned comb that kills her the second it touches her scalp. After all that, the queen still tricks Snow White into tasting the poisoned apple. Like I said: dumb. The queen basically uses the same deception three times. And why wouldn’t she when she’s dealing with such weak prey?
I just admire that the wicked queen reads this situation so perfectly and takes down her rival so easily. She knows how mentally superior she is in this fight. Why work hard when you don’t have to?
5. This Queen Has an Epic Death Scene
And when I say epic, I mean dramatic, violent, and fashionable all at once. When the wicked queen gets an invite to the prince and Snow White’s wedding feast, she goes out of morbid curiosity to see if the ravishing Snow White really is alive. As soon as the queen walks through the door, her enemies produce a pair of iron slippers straight from the palace fire. They force the wicked queen to put on the red-hot shoes and dance until she drops dead.
For the record, I feel that this was an incredibly cruel punishment. Iconic? Oh very. And yes, the queen is a terrible person who deserved to die. But scalding her feet with glowing hot shoes and torturing her for who knows how long until she died? None of the queen’s murder attempts on Snow White were anywhere near this inhumane, but I digress.
In the end, the wicked queen goes down in a flame of glory (no pun intended). It may have been a worse death than she deserved, but she took it on her feet and ended her days a legend. Is she absolutely evil? Of course. But I stand by my original statement: this woman has a lot of admirable qualities, and she’s easily the best fairy tale villain ever. ❧
