Learn all about the ice queen archetype, including definition, characteristics, examples, and how it relates to the Ruler archetype.
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What is the Ice Queen Archetype?
The archetypal Ice Queen is a matriarchal figure, a leader but one who has suffered so greatly from previous heartbreak that she has created a hostile, defensive environment to surround herself in an effort to shield herself from pain.
As a result, the Ice Queen appears cruel and unfeeling to those around her, though this is in reality not the case, and the Ice Queen in fact feels pain as deeply as, perhaps more so, than others.
However, over time they have, through necessity, trained themselves to control this emotion and feeling, to feel less deeply in order to protect themselves.
These traits mean that the Ice Queen becomes a fearsome leader, difficult to work for, and with a frosty demeanor which makes her unapproachable.
Ice Queen Archetype Characteristics & Traits
- She is detached from others, and whilst she thinks her attempts to humor others with a fake smile or word are successful they are in fact not.
- She is particularly intolerant of the men who surround her, seeing them as having little worth to her and likely to tear apart the heart of any unwary man who seeks to become involved with her.
- She is unlikely to have close friends of either gender, although the Ice Queen does sometimes seek one close companion whom they can mold to their own requirements, meaning that the companion is usually young and malleable.
- Whilst the Ice Queen is often physically attractive, their personality is usually one of a narcissist, meaning they have little empathy or respect for the needs and interests of other people.
- She usually exudes confidence and determination in the face of conflict or adversity.
- However, she can be prone to fits of temper and rage, meaning that those in her company have to tread cautiously for fear of provoking her.
- The Ice Queen exudes the attitude of thinking that she is better than anyone else, more special and thus deserving of special treatment.
- However, all of this masks a deep-seated loneliness and lack of confidence within the Ice Queen, one for which she is overcompensating with her inflated sense of control and domination.
Ice Queen Archetype Examples
An example of the archetypal Ice Queen in modern society is former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Also known as The Iron Lady, Mrs. Thatcher, whilst arguably using qualities required for a woman to lead successfully in British politics at the time, displayed a frosty and narcissistic demeanor to both her colleagues and often the country she led.
She strongly believed that her way was the right way, was rarely open to listening to and being influenced by the ideas of others, and had only a few close companions who she trusted and allowed into her confidence.
However, she did in fact feel emotion deeply and the public finally got a glimpse behind the icy exterior when she left office in her last tearful moments in Downing Street.
Further Reading
Further reading on the ice queen archetype includes:
- The Snow Queen – by Hans Christian Andersen
- The Kiss of the Snow Queen: Hans Christian Andersen and Man’s Redemption by Woman – by Wolfgang Lederer
