QUEEN HEROD

Background and Context

In Christian scriptures, Herod the Great (or King Herod), was fearful that the newborn Jesus
Christ, destined to become the king of the Jews, would usurp his rule. He therefore tried to find
Jesus and have him killed. However, the three Magi had been warned by an angel not to pass
Herod when returning from Bethlehem. Joseph had also received a similar message through a
dream, warning him to stay away. In order to ensure that the powerful leader would never grow
up, Herod ordered the execution of every boy in Bethlehem and its vicinity under the age of two.

Plot
In a winter, three queens come to visit Queen Herod and her newborn daughter. After they warn
Queen Herod of the danger and pain a male is likely to impose on her daughter, Queen Herod
demands the death of the infant boys.

Analysis of Quotes
- ‘Ice in the trees.’
This short statement begins the poem, setting the wintery scene and preparing for the cold tone
of ‘Queen Herod’. The chilly atmosphere is contrasted with the ‘sweating, panting beasts’,
which help the reader to picture animals clearly and realistically, rather than from a setting in a
Christmas card. This is yet another example of the technique Duffy uses to bring reality to an
old, fantastical story, and emphasise its relevance in the modern world.
- ‘Three Queens’
Duffy invites the reader to consider the biblical story, in which the powerful, ‘good’ people are
all males, such as Jesus, and his disciples, God, and John the Baptist, to name but a few. Here,
Duffy alters the original story by creating three Queens, rather than the three wise men, going to
visit her daughter, not a son. This is an example of Duffy’s frequent use of dark humour.
- ‘…the soft bowl of her face./Grace’
Queen Herod’s description of her ‘little child’, with Duffy’s use of internal rhyme, makes her
love for her daughter apparent, especially in contrast to her description of Herod, and her
omission to mention him often. He is quickly ushered out of the poem, in order to draw
concentration to the females. The gentleness of Queen Herod’s daughter, and the tenderness
with which Queen Herod regards her daughter, is a direct contrast to Queen Herod’s violent
command. The gifts which the Queens provide, ‘Grace’, ‘Strength’ and ‘Happiness’, which, in
contrast to the gifts of the three Magi (myrrh, frankincense and gold), can be considered much
more valuable and substantial as a part of life. Duffy may be suggesting that men desire
materialistic values and riches, whereas women believe emotion and personality are more
important.
- ‘Queen to Queen, with insolent lust’
This is a faint hint at lesbian love, as is the later line ‘the black Queen scooped out my breast’,
though Duffy may be referring to female friendship, which can be extremely intimate,
especially just after women have given birth. The idea that Queen Herod may be attracted to the
female sex is perfectly equitable, given her dissatisfaction of Herod, and perhaps the male
gender in general. A later hint at lesbianism is the line ‘the black Queen scooped out my breast/
…guiding it down/to the infant’s mouth’, which may again, be simply looking at the power of
motherhood.
- ‘Watch, they said, for a star in the East’
The advice for the Queens – to ‘watch’ – accentuates the danger in the prospective husband,
 drawing the reader’s attention away from the danger of Christ in the original Christmas tale.
However, this is also reminiscent of the original story, in which shepherds were told to ‘watch’
for the ‘star in the East’ which would tell them that He had been born, and thus, Duffy
continues her twists on the original biblical story.
- ‘pierced through the night like a nail’
An allusion to the crucifixion of Christ, and his suffering. However, Duffy’s use of heavy
symbolism also presages the suffering of the matriarchal line.
- ‘The Husband. Hero. Hunk… Mr Right.’
This may be a reference to Jesus or to young men in our society today. Duffy uses the life of
Jesus to draw parallels in society today. Duffy asks the reader to question the differences in
what society considers to be the ultimate achievement for men (power, fame, wealth) and
women (marriage, raise a child, take care of family and home). Through the alliteration, Duffy
focuses our attention on what society considers the ultimate achievement is for men. The litany
of images of men presented enforces the power of numerous men in history.
- ‘Adulterer. Bigamist…The Rake. The Rat.’
A staccato chant which highlights Duffy’s point that men often promise much, but are
unfaithful. Of course, this also begs the question ‘Are women usually more faithful?’ It would
appear, from the marriage of Queen Herod, that she has no way of ending her relationship with
her husband.
- ‘A peacock screamed outside.’
This line is isolated from the other stanzas, and is an image depicting the most vain of birds.
The male peacock shows off their plume in an attempt to attract the female, and is often
described as proud. The sound of the peacock’s ‘scream’ enables the reader to visualise the
male anger and distress at female power, as Queen Herod aims to thwart his plans. Queen
Herod is strong and violent, but cleverly hides this fact – an action closely paralleled in ‘Little
Red-Cap’.
- ‘hawked, spat, snatched/the smoky jug of mead/from the chittering maid’
This image of a man bullying a young girl who is only ‘twelve, thirteen’ is used by Duffy to
emphasise the arrogance and aggression in the behaviour of men. The reader is able to
visualise the man’s discourteous demeanour through his repeated use of the rough and vicious
‘a’ sound, which frightens the maid and causes her to chitter.
- ‘rise like a god the back of her beast’
The male guide has been acting like a beast. Here, the Queens each ‘rise like a god on the back’
o their ‘beast’ – this could be a symbolism to show the power of a woman, which is unknown to
their husbands. This is emphasised by the alliteration (back… beast). Duffy may also be making
a reference to the talents which a woman keep hidden and illusive in order to please the man.
- ‘splayed…/below Herod’s fusty bulk’
This line accentuates to the reader the possessive and domineering nature of men. The use of
the word ‘splayed’ hints that women often have no control, or even choice, in sex. The position
of Queen Herod is also in contrast to the ‘three Queens’, as she is now under Herod. But while
Herod seems to be in control, Queen Herod is thinking of what the ‘black Queen’ had said to
her. In other words, despite Herod’s physical control, Queen Herod’s mind is free. This is also a
hint that Queen Herod’s marriage is not altogether satisfying, another one being when she
referred, far from lovingly, at ‘drunken Herod’s head’. Queen Herod’s description of her own
marriage makes it reasonable that she would expect her own daughter’s marriage to be similar.
- ‘Some swaggering lad…/some wincing prince to take her name away’
Here, the ‘name’ of Queen Herod’s daughter can represent her own identity, and Queen Herod
is fearful that her daughter will have this stripped from her. Even in modern society, it is still
common for a woman to take their husband’s surname when they marry. The anaphoric use of
the word ‘some’ conveys Queen Herod’s scorn and contempt for men, as she believes they are
all the same. This is enforced in the assonance of the phrase ‘wincing prince’.
- ‘…and give a ring, a nothing, nowt in gold’
This is a bitter expression which underlines Queen Herod’s beliefs that after women give up
their identity, their only reward, or compensation, is a ring. Duffy asks the reader to question
whether this is a fair exchange.
- ‘The chattering stars/shivered in a nervous sky.’
Duffy’s use of personification helps to build tension.
- ‘blatant, brazen, buoyant in the East’
The alliteration emphasises how arrogant young men can be. Duffy may also be referring to the
glorious roles of a man in the Christian church, such as a priest, which women are denied, yet, it
this poem, they are presented as strong, bold and fierce, and as brutal as any man. This is more
clearly referenced to in ‘Pope Joan’.
- ‘We have daggers for eyes./Behind our lullabies’
A metaphor that points to the anger and power a woman can have, which may be hidden
beneath the traditional soft exterior. Duffy may be pointing at the insensitivity of men as this
often goes unnoticed, or criticising the fact that women should somehow feel obliged to hide
their feelings. The strong rhyme helps to make this line memorable, as well as help to connect
the ideas in the two stanzas. The line accentuates the love which mothers have for their
children, and the violence women will resort to, in order to protect those who they love. Here,
the juxtaposition of the peaceful ‘lullabies’ and the violent ‘daggers’ is interesting and creates
an ominous tone, but also helps emphasise this love.

Analysis of Ideas
- Meanings of the Word ‘Queen’
The noun ‘queen’ has multiple meanings. A ‘Queen’ may refer to royalty, or it may refer to
forceful and powerful woman. Queen Herod epitomises this role. The ‘three Queens’ who come
to visit could be yet another hint at lesbian love – Duffy may be playing on the phrase ‘drag
queen’. It is also worth noting that the queen is the most powerful piece on a chessboard, by far
superior to the king, but has only one goal: to protect the king.
- A Female Villain
The plot of this is unexpected – the reader would probably expect a poem which tells a story
from Queen Herod’s point of view, as she looks upon her husband’s actions in disgust or fear or
anger, as in the many other poems. As the reader is expected to be well acquainted with the
original biblical story, therefore, the idea that Queen Herod ordered the massacre of the
innocents is somehow worse – King Herod may have been ‘evil, mad’, but Queen Herod, as a
woman, is perhaps expected to be a motherly figure.
Yet, this fact is apparent, as she has committed such an act in order to protect her daughter
and the matriarchal line, as opposed to the original command from King Herod’s, issued simply
because he wished to keep his hold on power. Duffy may be exploring the lengths women are
prepared to go due to the presence of men and the views of society. The issue of whether a
murder committed by a woman is worse is echoed in a later poem ‘The Devil’s Wife’, in which
the main female character voices ‘The Devil was evil, mad, but I was the Devil’s wife/which
made me worse.’ In ‘The Devil’s Wife’, Duffy also gives the reader reason to sympathise with
the female ‘villain’.
- Christian Theology
Duffy emphasises that Christian theology was founded by men. In this poem, Duffy hints that
Jesus, the worshipped man (or spirit), is flawed, just like any other man. Duffy reveals her
doubts that a man could be both powerful and faithful, instead, Duffy suspects that he will be
arrogant and unfaithful.