femme fatale

Femmes fatales were standard fare in hardboiled crime stories in 1930s pulp fiction. A femme fatale (/ˌfɛm fəˈtæl, -ˈtɑːl/ FEM fə-TA(H)L, French: [fam fatal]; lit. 'fatal woman'), sometimes called a maneater, Mata Hari, or vamp, is a stock character of a mysterious, beautiful, and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, deadly traps. She is an archetype of literature and art. Her ability to enchant, entice and hypnotize her victim with a spell was seen in the earliest stories as verging on supernatural; hence, the femme fatale is often described as having a power akin to an enchantress, seductress, or witch, having power over men. Femmes fatales are typically villainous, or at least morally ambiguous, and always associated with a sense of mystification, and unease.

The term originates from the French phrase femme fatale, which means 'deadly woman' or 'lethal woman'. A femme fatale tries to achieve her hidden purpose by using feminine wiles such as beauty, charm, or sexual allure. In many cases, her attitude towards sexuality is lackadaisical, intriguing, or frivolous. In some cases, she uses lies or coercion rather than charm. She may also make use of some subduing weapon such as sleeping gas, a modern analog of magical powers in older tales. She may also be (or imply that she is) a victim, caught in a situation from which she cannot escape.