Cleopatra (Olga Baklanova) is the primary antagonist of the 1932 horror film "Freaks".
Cleopatra is a trapeze artist at circus which employs many people who have unique deformities. One of these people, a dwarf named Hans, becomes captivated with Cleopatra's beauty. The cold-hearted and manipulative woman uses this to her advantage and begins to ask him for loans of money. Meanwhile, circus strongman Hercules, a brutal and thuggish man, has also been using a relationship with the seal trainer, Venus, to cheat her out of her money. Noticing each other to be kindred spirits, Cleopatra and Hercules begin having their own secret relationship. When one of the circus performers -- who had her own crush on Hercules -- catches them making out, Hercules punches her in the face and knocks her unconscious. This is the first glimpse of how Cleopatra feels about deformed people as she laughs boisterously immediately after the punch.
Meanwhile, Hans's partner, Frieda, has become increasingly upset with Cleopatra's flirting with her man. Frieda finally confronts the villainess about this, saying that she is only after Hans for the enormous fortune he inherited. Ironically, Cleopatra, who initially denies Frieda's accusations, had no idea of Hans's wealth and begins to plot. She tells Hercules that the vitality of a "midget" is not strong, and that he could easily succumb to an illness. With this knowledge, she decides to marry him.
Cleopatra begins to poison Hans as early as the wedding reception by spiking his wine. However, she ultimately becomes drunk herself. When the deformed circus performers warmly begin to welcome her into their collective, she blurts out how she truly feels about all of them. She even goes as far as to call her new husband a baby, and subjects him to the humiliation of carrying him around on her shoulders to play "horsey-back ride".
Later on, realizing how much her inebriation has muddled her plans, she fake apologizes to Hans, saying that it was all a joke. Nevertheless, she continues to poison him by slipping the toxin into the medicine which is supposed to be making him well. His circus comrades are no fools, however, and quickly catch onto what is happening. Waiting for a stormy night, they first ambush and emasculate Hercules, and then go after Cleopatra. At the climax of the film, we learn that Hercules has become a soprano singer. Cleopatra's hands have been melted and deformed to look like duck feet, her legs have been cut off and what is left of her torso has been permanently tarred and feathered, leaving her as a sideshow "human chicken" for spectators to gawk at. The bullies are now also "freaks".
Laughing as the man with super strength punches out one of the deformed performers.
Laughing in Frieda's face at the idea that she would marry a dwarf (moments before she learns of the fortune).
The "harmless joke" she plays on her new husband.
Poisoning the medicine.
