This is that very Mab
That plats the manes of horses in the night,
And bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs,
Which once untangled, much misfortune bodes:
This is the hag, when maids lie on their backs,
That presses them and learns them first to bear,
Making them women of good carriage.
– William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, Scene 4. Queen Mab is portrayed as a mean-spirited, mischief-maker by Mercutio, using terms like "foul," "sluttish" and "hag." We hear how she tangles the hair of horses manes and brings dreams of sex to virgins. "Good carriage" has a double meaning, meaning women who can equally carry a man’s weight or a pregnancy.