Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut
Determinism is the idea that our destinies are already complete before we are born. This is a theory that American philosopher Sidney Hook refrained from. Hook believed that nothing in this universe is already decided; it is us humans who construct and reshape our social world as well as the natural environment. He believed that nobody was just born to be a hero; they had to have done something to have become the person they are remembered as. Hook divided his heroes into two classes: the eventful person, and the event-making person. The eventful person was someone who influenced history, but only because they happened to be in the right place at the right time. They weren’t too talented though; almost anybody placed at that moment in time could have done the same. The other type of hero is the event-making person, someone who made a change through the force of will. This person actually meant to make a difference and they had the required abilities to do so. Terry Fox was a good example of an event making person, because he could have easily given up after his amputation. Instead, he decided to make use of the time he had left and started his run across Canada. His legacy continues to this day, and will keep going for years to come. Terry’s bravery and willpower made him a hero.
The King Herself, also known as the Pharaoh Hatshepsut was definitely an event-making personality. She is famous today for having the audacity to portray herself as a man (Brown, 94). Although any woman could have been the only child born to Thutmose I and his Queen, therefore automatically inheriting the crown, not everyone could have achieved what Hatshepsut achieved. Ever since she started her reign, her hopes of being remembered were very high: “She seems to have been more afraid of anonymity than of death.” (Brown, 96). This is why she strived to do as much as she could to stand out; to be remembered in history. “Now my heart turns this way and that, as I think what the people will say. Those who see my monuments in years to come, and who shall speak of what I have done.” (Brown, 96) This quote shows her inner insecurity about being forgotten , or being looked at as not-so-important. This insecurity drove her to being event-making, doing things that would surely be recorded. She was confident in her role as king. “Early carvings show her performing kingly functions such as making offerings to the gods and ordering up obelisks from red granite quarries at Aswan.” (Brown, 98) She probably wanted to be seen as equal to, or even better than the former male pharaohs. She enjoyed being king; even when her stepson was fully capable of assuming the throne, he was relegated to second-in-command and Hatshepsut proceeded to rule for 21 years! (Brown, 98) Someone else could’ve handed the throne over right when they got the chance, but Hatshepsut had the desire and ability to be a king. Gender was a slight issue because religious belief dictated that a woman could not adequately carry out the king’s role, so getting over this obstacle took so much bravery from Hatshepsut. Instead of being titled as “the King’s Wife,” she preferred being called “God’s Wife of Amun.” (Brown, 99) This shows how witty the pharaoh was. She knew that nobody would object to something connected directly to God and it would prove her legitimacy. “’She ruled for 20 years because she was capable of making things work… she knew how to play one person off against the next- without murdering them or getting murdered herself.’” (Brown, 107) She changed history through her wittiness. Her event making personality definitely helped her achieve what she wanted, and though there were many obstacles, here we are discussing Hatshepsut thousands of years after her death.