5. Kingship

Abstract

‘Kingship’ assesses Egyptian kingship and the nature of Egyptian kings. The metaphor and symbolism involved in the Egyptian kings' names and iconography has made it difficult for modern scholars to arrive at a sense of the individual characteristics and activities of particular kings, as opposed to the general idea of kingship. Indeed, one has to consider the ancient stereotypes that the original Egyptian texts present and the unconscious contemporary stereotyping of which Egyptologists themselves are sometimes guilty. The stereotypical portrayal of Amenhotep II and Hatshepsut provides an interesting topic here. A considerably more conventional—but nevertheless still stereotyped—view of Egyptian kingship is encountered in the case of Ramesses II.