Hatshepsut Essay

Throughout history, men typically dominated societies. Men have always appeared to have more respect and rights than women, depending on certain civilizations. In societies like Egypt, men were frequently pharaohs and today, are considered to be great rulers. Women were often expected to take the job of motherhood in Egyptian society. Although this was their anticipated responsibility, women, usually upper class and royal, were still permitted to get an education, to possess property, own businesses, have a job and be involved in military control. Women could also rule as pharaoh, which was an infrequent occurrence but did sometimes happen. Hatshepsut, for example, is one of the few women who became a pronounced leader in the ancient

A woman becoming Pharaoh had been almost unheard of in ancient Egypt until Hatshepsut was born. Hatshepsut was the second daughter of the pharaoh, Thothmes I. After her sister, Neferu-khebit, died, Hatshepsut was the next heir to the throne unless a male married her and became Pharaoh. After Thothmes passed away, Hatshepsut fearfully, yet confidently, claimed the throne and commenced one of the most successful She-Pharaoh reigns ever recorded. Pauline Gedge’s Child of the Morning explained the social, political, economic, and cultural aspects of ancient Egypt’s society during Hatshepsut’s reign as Queen and Pharaoh.

Hatshepsut was born around 15th century B.C., she is the daughter of Tuthmose the first and his wife, Aahmes. When king Tuthmose I died, queen Aahmes married her half-brother, King Tuthmose II. King Tuthmose II died after a short rule and the throne was supposed to be passed down to his son Tuthmose III but he was considered far too young to rule so Hatshepsut ruled in his stead as a regent. Information about Hatshepsut varied a bit, some articles speculated Hatshepsut was the 4th female pharaoh while others say she was the 6th. But without a doubt she was considered one of the greatest pharaohs of all time, even amongst the male counterparts. As a pharaoh, Hatshepsut did things like reestablishing trade routes that has been long lost due to past invaders. By doing this, Hatshepsut was able to turn the economy around and lead Egypt into a period of wealth and prosperous trade. Her allowing an expedition to the land of Punt also wielded excellent results. In total she sent 5 ships accommodating 210 sailors and 30 rowers most likely slaves. They bought back 31 live myrrh tree roots and were the first recorded attempt to plant foreign

Hatshepsut, also known as the king herself, was an extraordinary woman that ruled for many years. She had the audacity to portray herself as a man (Brown 2009). Her impact was mostly associated with the choice of declaring herself as a king and ruling in such manners for over 20 years. The impact she had on gender roles was significant because she never tried to hide her gender, yet she dressed as a king. Hatshepsut took a role that was never intended for women to have control of, and did the job as successful or even more successful than males in the same filed of work. During her time of ruling she created, renovated

Hatshepsut and Akhenaten have both revolutionized Egyptian art during their reign as rulers of Egypt. In the 18th Dynasty in Egypt, the art of both Queen/King Hatshepsut and Akhenaten represented them with features not corresponding to their biological sex or social gender. In several of her paintings and sculptures, Hatshepsut was often portrayed as a man despite that fact that she was a woman. On the other hand, Akhenaten was often portrayed with feminine features, something that was never done before in Egyptian art. There have been many different theories from historians as to why Hatshepsut, Akhenaten, and their artists may have done this, but nothing has yet to be confirmed.

In one respect, Hatshepsut is viewed as the female pharaoh who had a particularly unsuccessful reign that was devoid of any real achievements. Historians writing in the 1970’s and 1980’s often made sexist and unfounded assumptions about Hatshepsut’s rule, including her apparent scheming to take the throne from the

This piece does not have several viewpoints but mostly one. It is to be approached from its front view. It is extremely direct with Hatshepsut looking straightforward. The sculptor’s primary focus seems to be her resemblance as pharaoh. She is of power and should be approached directly as king. Hatshepsut is also displayed so that the statue could only be seen by the front. Her back is to the wall; hence, having no access to approach the statue toward its back. On the side of her thighs, there are horizontal lines playing a contrast to everywhere else, as her body is smooth. Even when entering this section of the Egyptian gallery, she can be viewed from the outside. She is directly aligned to the entrance. The museum seems to structure the approach of Hatshepsut to be presented directly.

During her reign, Hatshepsut had started trading expeditions from Punt (present-day Eritrea) that brought ivory, ebony, gold, leopard skins and incense into Egypt. When Hatshepsut was trading with Punt, she utilized trade as a technique to give herself a chance to expand the economy of her country. In order for trading to be accomplished, Hatshepsut had established vital trade routes to aid in implementing exchange with other countries. As a result, Hatshepsut became the first monarch in the New Kingdom to trade with Punt. Through her action of expanding trades with trade routes, she demonstrated that she is an influential leader because she was not afraid to try new ways of making her country better and more prosperous. Along with trading with Punt, Hatshepsut had also traded with countries in west Asia which are in east of Egypt through her vital trade routes. Thus allowing boats filled with goods to be imported back to Egypt. In addition to expanding trade to help her country prosper, Hatshepsut had also built many great monuments such as the Palace of Ma’at, Gebel el Silsila, Chapelle Rouge, and the Deir el Bahri that exhibits the immense growth of her country. These tremendous monuments displayed that Egypt under Hatshepsut’s rule had prospered because it proves that the economy of that time was great since Hatshepsut was able to afford

The Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut is a magnificent piece of art located in the Egyptian section next to many other statues of the great pharaoh Hatshepsut. Out of all the statues of Hatshepsut, the Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut was kept in the best shape and caught a lot of attention from the people in the room. Its great size is something truly remarkable, considering it was built in the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. More importantly, this statue is the first structure in art that depicts a woman leader. Not only is it a truly unique piece of work, but also it is a piece that is revolutionary for its time. The massive size of this statue leaves one wondering if women have always been just as powerful as men, if not more.

Egyptian women were fortunate in that they were equal to men as far as the law was concerned. They could own property, borrow money, initiate divorce, and many other things unheard of in the Greek civilization. The Egyptian royal line was matriarchal, meaning that royalty was passed down from mother to son. The Greeks, in comparison, were patriarchal, meaning control was passed from father to son. It was also necessary for a man to marry a woman of royalty in order to become a Pharaoh. Because of this, it was common for brothers to marry sisters. Sometimes, women were even known to become a Pharaoh. There are at least four documented female Pharaohs with the most notable being Hatshepsut (1479-1458 B.C.) (McKay 2009). Hatshepsut, though a very powerful ruler, was often times depicted in men’s clothing and with a false beard (McKay 2009). This shows that even though women were much more important in Egyptian society, there was still a stigma around women leaders.

Amun and religion played a large role in Hatshepsut’s reign due to the use of a higher being to consolidate her reign. The limestone bust of Hatshepsut as Osiris, a portrait from her mortuary temple at Deir el Bahari depicts her as the male god Osiris, giving her a sense of power as she is depicted as a powerful god, god of

During the time of Ancient Egypt, having strong Pharaohs was essential to the maintenance and growth of the civilization, as the Pharaohs were believed to be living Gods. Although leadership of Ancient Egypt was often male dominated, there were admirable female Pharaohs who successfully gained power and left behind a positive legacy; one woman to achieve this was Hatshepsut, meaning ‘foremost of female nobles’. Her innovation and determination allowed her to maintain her position of Pharaoh for about twenty years (1479-1458 BCE). Hatshepsut was considered to be a very successful leader because of her confidence and ambition, magnificent building projects, and establishment of a strong trading network.

When we think of the great pharaohs of Egypt, we often think of King Tut and Ramses II, and when we think of great female pharaohs, we think of Cleopatra. However, one of Egypt’s most prominent pharaohs is none of the above. Arguably one of the most underrated pharaohs in terms of their overall impact on Egypt is Hatshepsut. Born to King Thutmose I by the principal wife and queen, Hatshepsut married her half-brother Thutmose II at age 12. After the death of her husband, her stepson and next in line to the throne, Thutmose III, was too young to take the throne, so Hatshepsut took over the reign of Egypt. Hatshepsut was the first female pharaoh with full power over Egypt and was also the longest reigning female pharaoh. Hatshepsut is an important

In today’s society, we as women often take for granted the rights, freedoms, and equality we share with men that women in the ancient world were not granted. As all civilisations in the ancient world exercised different treatment towards, this essay will illustrate a few comparisons in the status of women during ancient Egypt with women during ancient Rome. Academic sources will be relied on to provide the necessary actualities when one considers ancient civilizations. The legal status of women in society, the domestic atmospheres and roles that each unique region’s women held, and the possible occupations available to these women, will be discussed.

Through the propaganda she used and hoodwinking of the general populace into believing that she was a man when she was quite obviously a woman, Hatshepsut was able to subvert the patriarchal order to become Pharaoh of Egypt in 1473 BC. By becoming the monarch, Hatshepsut forfeited her representation as a beautiful woman and instead “chose to be represented as a man in both statues and illustrations on temple walls” (Thomas, 2003, p. 9). In doing this she shifted the predominantly male-based system into one that accepted her as a female ruler. An ancient