Ma’at, a concept that encapsulates order and justice, is a foundational element of Egyptian culture. Each social class has its own unique way of interacting so that Ma’at is fulfilled. There are the peasants, who must defer to their superiors, the elite, who mediate between the lower classes and those above them, and even the king, who guides them all and protects them from foreigners, who inherently go against Ma’at. Both “The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant” and “The Story of Sinuhe” demonstrate this rigid hierarchy and need to submit to the highest authority of all, Ma’at.
The peasant shows his deference to Ma’at by making sure his complaint is presented sufficiently to Nemtynakhte and then the Chief Steward, Rensi, before he allows himself…show more content… Likened to a god himself, he is the final earthy authority on Ma’at and all other must obey him. Sinuhe spends a good deal of time praising the might of Senwosret. He describes a man who guides his people through excellent planning and protects them by crushing his kingdom’s foes and others who oppose him (“Sinhue” 57). This description shows the reader a leader who is able to make the correct decisions regarding Ma’at and capable of punishing those who go against it. In both texts this power is tempered with mercy. In “Eloquent Peasant” the king ensures that the peasant and his family receive food (“Eloquent Peasant” 30) while the peasant is delayed at court while king Senwosret warmly receives Sinuhe back into the court (“Sinhue” 65). This mercy is partially propaganda, especially in “Sinuhe,” but it also has roots in the fears the peasant expresses regarding the elite. Like the elite, if the king were to defy Ma’at, it would be an even graver crime because all of Egypt would suffer under a leader who could exploit the…show more content… Within their society, the Egyptians had to adhere to the norms of their social class so that they lived in accordance to Ma’at. Peasants would have to obey the orders of the higher social classes, the elite would carry out the king’s instructions and oversee the peasants, and the king would keep order by directing the elite. “The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant” and “The Story of Sinuhe” both show how important it was to conform to these standards so that Ma’at would be followed and Egypt could