WHAT IS A QUEEN TO YOU?

“Theory, for its own sake, is problematic. We want to run our data through a machine to come up with a result. But we should not seek to prove theory. Theory should be used to inspire new thoughts. We should not seek to prove an idea. We should take an idea and see how it can inspire us.” - Professor Jacquelyn Williamson, 9/23/2021, Queens Symposium

In class, I’ve been able to learn about premodern queens of the Mediterranean as they are depicted through art and archaeology. I’ve taken a particular interest in Hatshepsut and Cleopatra VII, both of whom are Egyptian queens. To me, they seemed to present in opposing manners, specifically as it pertained to my initial conceptions of gender. In the art that I saw, both in images and in-person at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hatshepsut was depicted in a style or type of dress that appeared to me as traditionally more masculine/male. On the other hand, with Cleopatra, I had always pictured her to be a very feminine icon in the way that she is presented through “popular” culture.

I learned that Hatshepsut is known as “The Female King.” She was the daughter of King Thutmose I and became the queen of Egypt upon marrying her half-brother, Thutmose II. When Thutmose II died, she acted as regent for Thutmose III, her stepson who was an infant at the time. Later on, she assumed the role of co-ruler of Egypt with Thutmose III and became a pharaoh. Certain existing art of her depicts her with male characteristics and attire.[1]

In September, I had the opportunity to attend Queen: Reimaging Power from Antiquity to the Present, a virtual symposium with panel discussions about ancient queens. Professor Jacquelyn Williamson, Associate Professor of Ancient Art and Archaeology at George Mason University, gave a presentation and spoke about Hatshepsut, The Female King in Context.

Professor Williamson incorporates the depictions and perceptions of Hatshepsut into the modern Western feminist theory. She utilizes a motivational framework of non-Western religious national identities to illustrate her ideas. The most pivotal moment of her presentation for me was when she introduced her framework to address the modern Western context and biases. She highlights how since Hatshepsut was represented in imagery as a man, and was said to have stepped out of gender boundaries by assuming that position of royalty, there is the underlying assumption that she had the major intention of seizing power. This assumption, as Professor Williams points out, has both positive and negative interpretations. It was at this point that I realized that the traditional view of feminism I have is extremely Westernized, regardless of how much I’ve previously tried to unravel that. With the modern idea of a rebellious woman, women rebel against social norms that ban equality, and that’s how they come to power. There are Westerners who want to see Hatshepsut as a modern woman that fits this narrative. However, her narrative makes sense within the historical context. Hatshepsut was acting out of a sense of urgency to preserve her society instead of rebelling against it. Her actions to "step out of her gender roles" could have likely been motivated by the concern for the survival and protection of her nation. Professor Williamson discusses this as the “national urgency as a basis for transgression” and includes interesting examples of women responding to national threats, such as with Israeli and Palestinian women’s activism. She makes an important point when she says that Hatshepsut adhered to the traditional agenda as she co-ruled with Thutmose III, embodied Horus (an Egyptian male deity) by presenting herself as a man, and was not trying to hide her sex. Her kingship was reinforcing tradition rather than challenging it, and that is a different type of female strength. Western feminism, an ideology that suggests that women gain their power by escaping their prescribed roles or standards, not only doesn’t consider that, but also “assumes that the Western model is superior, and that people desire power and agency.”

When learning about Hatshepsut and listening to Professor Williamson, I realized that the Western view of feminism that was imposed on the analysis of Hatshepsut’s rule was not too far off from what I also previously associated with feminism. Nonetheless, there are many ways to exhibit female power and feminism. I wanted to analyze the scope of that. Cleopatra VII and Hatshepsut seemed like the perfect example for me to study as two queens from the same world who are visually presented in seemingly opposing manners. By also utilizing the popular image or conception of a "queen" in people’s minds today (in many cases like that of my survey responses: Cleopatra, Beyoncé, or #girlboss feminism), I wanted to see how our generation’s definition of female power and gender was shaped by ideologies that may or may not have been imposed on us.

Thus, this project was born.