Pascua 1

Prescilla Pascua

Dr. Graff

HON 171 10:30AM

14 September 2023

Analysis Paragraph Draft

In the Expedition to Punt, Hatshepsut demonstrates the struggle a woman must go

through to gain a higher position in society. The people of Egypt didn’t approve of Hatshepsut

taking the throne after the passing of her half-brother, simply because she was a woman and

viewed as weak. Hatshepsut went as far as to change her appearance to look like a man to show

she was strong enough to rule Egypt, however that wasn’t enough to convince the people that she

was capable of being Pharaoh. Rather than physically presenting herself as powerful, her actions

had to show it. Hatshepsut expresses a conversation with the gods in which they tell her,

“Explore the routes to Punt, open the roads to the Myrrh-terraces, and lead an expedition on

water and on land to bring exotic goods from the God’s Land to this god who created her

beauty.” (Hatshepsut 2006, 2). Punt was land that hasn’t been explore in five hundred years, so if

she was able to follow these orders and bring back the goods, her people will finally consider her

as strong enough to rule Egypt. Her expedition proved to be successful as the goods were

brought back and described as, “Things the liked of which had not been brought to other kings of

Lower Egypt, exotic goods from the land of Punt, because of the greatness of the might of this

noble god Amun-Re, lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands.” (Hatshepsut 2006, 9). Hatshepsut

successfully completed the expedition bringing back what she promised the people and when she

reveals the goods brought back from Punt, people are more willing to show their respect and

acceptance of her being Pharaoh. Hatshepsut had to endure the treacherous task of leading out an
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expedition ordered by the gods to establish her capabilities and prove herself worthy of holding a

high position of power. This demonstrates how women in this society were questioned for having

a higher social role while men weren’t because it was what was expected of them if they fell

within that bloodline. Overall, we see that women must work harder to gain a higher social status

whereas the men get that status handed them simply through heritage.