The Classically Feminine Heroes We Actually Need in 2026

When people think of classical femininity, they often picture women shaped by the cultural standards of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Perhaps Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, or Hedy Lamarr are on the list. And while they inspired lasting and enduring styles that women emulate today uncontroversially, there are greater female heroines worth emulating not only from the 20th century, but as far back as classic literature allows.

These women are not known for rewriting the patriarchal narrative or for their hyper-independence, but rather for their virtue, courage, intelligence, obedience, and femininity. It’s an approach we could use to select our heroes today. @Megha_lilly recently outlined these examples as female heroines to admire. Let’s dig into why.

Beatrice from Dante’s Divine Comedy

Beatrice doesn’t save the world by charging towards battle, flashing her strength, or putting up boundaries. She saves it by being perfectly ordered in goodness. When Dante loses his way, Beatrice doesn’t rush in emotionally or make the story about herself. Instead, from Heaven, she sends help by asking Virgil to guide him. She understands that love works best when it follows truth and order. 

Later when Dante finally makes it to her, she doesn’t flatter him or act cruelly towards him. When Dante falters in understanding divine truth, Beatrice rebukes him calmly and clearly. As Dante grows closer to truth, she actually becomes more beautiful, showing us that beauty isn’t just about looks alone, but reflective of wisdom and goodness. Beatrice teaches us that femininity can lead without shouting and power poses, but love of what is good. 

Penelope from Homers Odyssey

Penelope’s strength and example is in her patience. While her husband Odysseus is gone for years, men crowd her home and pressure her to remarry. Instead of giving in, she comes up with a clever plan and says she’ll choose a new husband once she finishes weaving a burial cloth, then secretly unravels it each night. She uses her intelligence to stay faithful to what she knows to be right. 

When Odysseus finally returns, Penelope doesn’t rush into his arms right away. She tests him by mentioning their marriage bed, knowing only the real Odysseus would understand the truth about it. She shows us through her discerning actions that loyalty doesn’t mean being foolish, and that she protects her home, her marriage, and her son by staying wise and steady. Her courage is quiet, but it holds an entire country together. Will this be exemplified in Anne Hathaway's performance in the upcoming star-studded Christopher Nolan rendition of The Odyssey coming this summer? It remains to be seen.

Sonia from Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment

Sonia lives a very hard life, but she never loses her sense of right and wrong. She had to become a prostitute in order to support her family when her father wasn't carrying his weight. Yet, when Raskolnikov confesses that he committed murder, Sonia doesn’t make excuses for him or tell him it wasn’t that bad. Instead, she reads him the story of Lazarus (from the Bible), reminding him that even the worst situations can be redeemed if someone tells the truth and repents.

Later, Sonia chooses to follow him into exile in Siberia. She does this not because she is weak, but because she is the pure and innocent heart of the story that ultimately leads to Raskolnikov's rebirth. Sonia shows that real compassion doesn’t ignore what is evil but it faces challenges honestly and still chooses to be faithful.

Mina Harker from Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Mina Harker proves that femininity is deeply tied to intelligence She carefully organizes letters, journals, and notes so the group fighting Dracula can understand what’s happening, and without her, they would be lost. She doesn’t pursue selfish validation, but is a helper in the best way she knows how.

Mina even allows herself to be hypnotized to help track Dracula, knowing it could put her in danger. When she is partly affected by the evil they are fighting, she doesn’t give up or give in. She leans into prayer, discipline, and trust in others. When we break down the tale, we see how Mina is the opposite of the vampire’s false, destructive version of femininity. The vampire looks powerful, but actually destroys everything it touches by weaponizing beauty to control, charm and drain others. That view of femininity is all about appetite and selfish desire. Mina is the opposite: steady, life-giving, and brings people together. 

A female hero doesn’t have to be the center of attention, or a rebel saving the world. Classical Femininity is about choosing truth, staying faithful, and using wisdom even when it’s not the popular choice. These women didn’t influence their worlds by revolutionizing the system but by holding on to what was good even when it would have been easier to leave.