<P> Claire Hale Underwood is originally from the exclusive Highland Park enclave of Dallas, Texas . Her late father was a major Texas Republican . While at Radcliffe College in Cambridge, she met Francis J. Underwood, a Harvard Law student from South Carolina . She is from a wealthy family, and the show characterizes her as a "Dallas Debutante" and "Lily White". She recounts her father's taking her to Dealey Plaza, where John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and that it made her feel "so sad, so angry". She has a difficult relationship with her mother, Elizabeth Hale (Ellen Burstyn), who despises Frank and is disappointed in Claire for marrying him . </P> <P> Brian Stelter of The New York Times described her as Frank Underwood's conniving wife and described the Underwoods as "the scheming husband and wife at the center of' House of Cards"'. She is a woman "who will stop at nothing to conquer everything". Hank Stuever of The Washington Post describes her as an "ice - queen wife". The Independent's Sarah Hughes echoes this description, saying Claire is so dedicated to the couple's schemes that it is clear she will execute them herself if Frank wavers . Following season 4, Robin Wright stated that she felt Claire Underwood was the equal of Frank Underwood and demanded equal pay for her performance . Netflix acquiesced . </P> <P> While Frank is Machiavellian, Claire presents a woman urging on her husband's assertion of power in the image of Lady Macbeth . She encourages his vices while noting her disapproval of his weaknesses, saying: "My husband doesn't apologize...even to me ." This gives a credibility to their symbiosis . </P> <P> Willimon notes that "What's extraordinary about Frank and Claire is there is deep love and mutual respect, but the way they achieve this is by operating on a completely different set of rules than the rest of us typically do ." </P>

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