Hatshepsut: The Role Of Propaganda In Ancient Egypt
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My example from ancient Egypt that I think is propaganda is Hatshepsut. The Valleys on the West Bank of the Nile holds the tomb of Pharaoh Hatshepsut. Pharaoh Hatshepsut (Eighteenth Dynasty, r. c. 1473-1458 BCE) is rare in that she is one of a very few women who ruled Egypt. She was the daughter of Thutmose I and she married her half-brother. After her half-brother ruled for fourteen years as Thutmose II then died, Hatshepsut became regent for her husband’s underage son. The son was actually born to one of her husband’s concubines. Hatshepsut declared herself “king” by the priests of Amun. This actually made her a co-ruler with Thutmose III for twenty years. This is where the propaganda begins! Hatshepust knew she had to be portrayed in a way that she would be known as powerful.…show more content… Hatshepsut had herself portrayed as a male king, even wearing a kilt and linen headdress. Occasionally she even was portrayed with a king’s false beard. In the online book, Volume 1 Art History, on page 68, you can see a picture of 8’ 6” statute of Hatshepust kneeling (“From Deir el-Bahri. Eighteenth Dynasty, c. 1473-1458 BCE).I am sure that this move was one that was well thought out. Hatshepust, I believe, portrayed herself as a male ruler as a way to reassure her people that she could do the job despite being a woman. I think the way Hatshepsut had herself portrayed was propaganda because this made people believe that the female pharaoh was as powerful as the men pharaohs. I think this example was very successful because she ruled for fifteen years (1473 B.C. to 1458 B.C.) and had the priests on her side. The priests being on her side is another example of