Pyramids, a song written by Frank Ocean is a historical account of the black man and woman in America and their slow fall from grace, from Gods to dogs symbolically. In this song he is making a reference to the historical Cleopatra, who brought dishonor to her country by becoming Marc Antony’s mistress (Marc Antony was a conqueror who wanted Egypt as Roman territory) -- in the song he narrates the same story happening between him and this woman (Cleopatra). His Queen leaves him for another man, but he has no plans to treat her with the honor and respect her king had, thus bringing on her decline from Queen/Goddess in her home land to her now degrading role as an object to men in the western hemisphere. She is no longer revered, but used and …show more content…
His lover, Delilah, betrayed him, and had his hair cut leading to him being captured and blinded. By using this line he is implying that Cleopatra has betrayed her race by running off and leaving her King (Frank). Also implied is Frank's jealousy towards the other man, him saying Samson's “full head of hair” can be seen as an implication that he feel inferior compared to him, since his full head of hair granted him superhuman strength. “No more, she lives no more, serpent in her room. No more, he has killed Cleopatra…” The “serpent” imagery here is the symbol of treason and disloyalty. Her angry lover compares her to a serpent. Rather than her being in her room, it is empty of her presence and instead a lingering feeling of grief and anger fills her empty space. “No more, he has killed Cleopatra” refers to two aspects: her death by means of the serpent, and her serpent-like character which was the cause of her demise. “Death” Could refer to his love interest figuratively being dead to him because of her …show more content…
Got rubies in my damn chain.” This is where the song grows confusing, it is now the perspective of the man she left Frank for, centuries have passed and he is now the pimp that she works for. “Top floor motel suite twisting my cigars” is expressing the financial relationship between pimp and working woman. She is working the corner while the pimp is reaping the benefits and luxuries of her labor by living at the top floor suite and rolling blunts “twisting my cigars”. “Got rubies in my damn chain” Rubies were a sign of class in ancient Egyptian times, so by saying he has rubies in his chain, he is implying that he is very wealthy and high class. This just continues to show the woman’s fall from greatness, while she is stuck selling her body for money, the man is still living a luxurious lifestyle, something she lost when she betrayed her king
All of this is brought to the reader by an abundant use of figurative language throughout the song. For Instance, the scaffold the man is standing on symbolizes his position in life (he is scared and wants to escape. In the third stanza, after describing the problems with his world and how he prays, he curses the windstorms. This is actually a metaphor for his mental confusion and despair. In the next stanza, the prestige of the boardroom is made evident by the allusion of it towards a pharoahs tomb. We know in the end that he has pulled it all together when he calls his “crystal clear canvas” (the windows) a “masterpiece” . He has given value to his work and thus, value to his life.
Richardson, M. (1995). Edmonia Lewis’ The Death of Cleopatra Myth and Identity. African American Art. 12(2), 36-52
Egypt had the earliest large scale political economy in Africa. The Egyptians were led by Pharaohs, whose roles were appointed based off of their believed holy lineage. Pharaohs were thought to be descendants of the Egyptian goddess Isis, making them the only people fit to lead Ancient Egypt. The citizen’s strong religious views meant they eagerly followed everything their leaders commanded and this strong devotion is what made it possible to build the pyramids. Devoted Egyptians citizens built the tombs for their rulers over decade long periods as the ultimate tribute. Built from thousands of pounds of limestone many of the pyramids are still standing today. But, much like its preceding civilizations, Egypt’s greatest accomplishments were belittled because Eurocentric explorers refused to believe that black Africans could be responsible for something as grand as the pyramids. This can even be seen in modern culture, where Egyptians are portrayed as white or European, despite being rooted in Africa. The video turns to Afrocentric researcher Cheikh Anta Diop, who attempts to prove Egyptians were dark skinned by pointing to ancient pictures from the tomb of Ramses III, where Egyptians were portrayed as having dark skin like many Africans do today. Even Greeks, who knew Egypt well, believed Egyptians were black (Different but Equal). But Khapoya argues in his book that classifying Egyptians as either ‘black’ or ‘white’ is extremely inaccurate, “Ancient Egyptians had many different shades of skin color, from very light brown Mediterranean-type skins to very dark Nubian-type skins” (Khapoya, 66). Egyptians were very diverse with many different people of many different races living together. Nonetheless Egyptians, whether dark or light skinned, are Africans, and their accomplishments are ultimately African
When a member of the Egyptian royal family became pharaoh, he became much more than ruler of a mighty empire, he ascended to the rank of god. This position allowed the pharaoh to commission monuments to himself and to his reign, controls his subjects regardless of their rank, and maintain Egypt’s status among her enemies. Just as in any hierarchical governmental system, the pharaoh treated different classes of individuals and groups in different ways from the austere priest to the lowly peasant. The them, Pharaoh was a god and he would allow no one to forget that fact; but to him, the world was below him and he treated each group accordingly. This is illustrated in some of the few surviving works from the Egyptian dynastic periods. Through personal letters, official government correspondence, and fiction, a broad picture can be painted as to how the pharaoh interacted with his people and how they reacted towards him.
The Pyramids of Giza are famous because they needed so many people and so much effort to construct them. There have been many incorrect myths or ideas around who actually built the pyramids, and there are conflicting views. Recent studies say they were built by 10,000 workers, not 100,000, and the workers were not actually slaves of the Pharaoh, but paid and skilled workers, mainly Egyptian’s. It has long believed that this was slave work, but after much investigation, new conclusions have been reached, and it is not viewed as possible to be the work of slaves. They all lived nearby the construction site, in a temporary village made primarily for the workers, where they could stay and access the Pyramids easily. This village was a very organized community, and almost like it a real village, with businesses and houses. It would have been a comfortable residence for all of the workers, but they had a life of constant toil. It is likely that many of the communities across Upper and Lower Egypt would have donated the work...
woman, and man. The serpent’s punishment was that it had to slither the rest of its life and that serpent would be inferior to mankind. The woman’s punishment entailed becoming the
These lyrics from one of the first hip hop women band in United State introduce clearly our subject. Usually when the people think about women in Hip Hop culture, they think about sex, they think about women half nude in music videos, we just have to remember the conteoversial music video of Nelly for his song Tip Drill (2003). Women's studies students protest against misogyny in this video who shows women as sexuel object simulating sexuel acts and men throwing money on women's breats. This case is common in Hip Hop culture, specially in Gangsta Rap in videos of 2pac, Notorious Big, 50 Cents, etc. Patricia Hill Collins, Tricia Rose and bell hooks (Hill Collins Patricia : 1991, Rose Tricia : 1994, hell hooks : 2003) spoke about the perverse effect of women's nudity in Hip Hop culture and compare Hip Hop to pronography. They all agree to say that the Hip Hop culture is a male and machist world, where women are used to reinforce the apparent masculinity of rappers. These authors studie rap music through the gender and the race in United State, because women in video music are always black, almost the same happens in France not really with rap but R&B which is a part of the Hip Hop Culture. All the singers of R&B in France have arabian origins, whereas american R&B is more heterogenic. The quetsion is why all the women are black in american video rap music ? And why all the R&B french singers are arabian ? Can we see a postolonial and esclavagist heritage ? These two image, black female seen as a "bitch" and the arabian woman called the "beurette" in France show two different feminities, but how these "myths" involved in the development of a group identity? And what they reveal about the society ?
The first poem “The beginning of the song that diverts the heart,” The woman metaphorically describes her love which shows her inclination to be with this man. The sentence, “My beloved, my darling, my heart longs for your love — all that you created!” describes how deeply she wants to be with the man (Egyptian Love Poems 77). Secondly, one of the lines that truly reveals the nature of the woman’s love is “The first to come / takes my bait. / Its fragrance comes from Punt, / its claws full of balm. / My heart desires you. / Let us release it together” (Egyptian Love Poems 77). Within this line, the woman’s mention of bait, and releasing it, is an innuendo for sexual fulfillment. Lastly, towards the end of the poem, the woman shows her true intentions with lines, “I am with you, I alone…You are here with me, as I set my snare. / Going to the field is pleasant (indeed) for one who loves it” (Egyptian Love Poems 77). This woman wants to set this trap, while being alone with the man, essentially capturing his
The snake has acted as a diverse symbol throughout history, representing immortality, evil, femininity, and masculinity. In the book Dream Animals, Marilyn Nissenson and Susan Jonas further reveal the awe that the snake has inspired throughout the centuries, "They [snakes] were believed to mediate between life and death, earth and sky, this world and the next" (19). The snake slithers through our subconscious, evoking varying associations. Cleopatra identified with the snake during her life, and it becomes even more highly symbolic in her death. By examining three movies (DeMille's Cleopatra, Mankiewicz's Cleopatra and the ABC version of Cleopatra) and two dramas (Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and Mary Sidney's Tragedy of Antonie) different symbolic representations of the snake emerge along with contrasting depictions of the Queen of the Nile. These varying representations of the asp and slightly contrary portrayals of Cleopatra prove to us that we know very little about the enigmatic ancient Queen.
The Statue of Osiris can be found at the Field Museum in Chicago Illinois. It is made out of Bronze material and was created in 664-525 BC by an unknown artist. The height of the statue is 55 cm (21 5/8 in.). The Bronze statue would have been entombed with a mummified body. Osiris, a god of the dead, stands mummiform, arms positioned right above left, with wrapped feet. It was Egyptian that was created in the late period, Dynasty 26 and reflects styles from the New Kingdom.
Perhaps deep-seeded in the flesh that is humankind, lies a poison, villous and infected, whose venom devastates that which is humanity. Indeed, it is a serpent, reducing its victim’s soul to a pathetic shamble of indignity and wrath. Gently caressing its prey’s bones, it slithers here and there, clenching and compressing, ignoring any pleas for mercy. Gradually, it tightens, smothering and slaughtering the purity of human. Indecency plays no mind for the serpent, for it does not act from courage, but rather for authority. Truly, evil has taken the body that once was. Corruption of the mind and soul, however, does not stand unchallenged. Indeed, and quite possibly the miracle that is as equally a part of humankind, stands a fender of evil: There stands conscience. A concrete state of the mind that demands attention; conscience makes room for a moral compass, fighting the powers of inner-barbarity. Conscience may in fact be the humanizing factor, as it makes room for choice. Quite evidently, human would crumble without the freewill that is choice. It tempts us with morality and the freedom of benevolence, while reminding us of the serpent, praying patiently, waiting to strike. This curious balance of wickedness and conscience is no new concept to humankind. As creatures infatuated by our own existence, humans crave knowledge of our own reality. Consequently, countless magnificent literary pieces have been devoted to the study of actuality; most recognizably Shakespeare’s sixteenth century play Hamlet. The play cements itself as a fundamental and relevant piece of literary work in modern study because of its enticing themes, strong entertainment value and intricate characterization. At large, the play draws insight into the depths of...
...llowers he had. Leontes has once again caused the demise of someone else close to him, all due to his own rage. Death is perceived as an action that occurs, and cannot be reversed. Antigonus has died, and that is the end of it, the daughter is now forever gone, and Leontes will not gain peace till the lost is found. As the reader, one is lead to believe that everything being said it true, but in this play there are moments, where one must ask if we can believe what has just occurred.
A. A. From Alexander to Cleopatra: The Hellenistic World. New York: Michael Grant Publications Ltd, 1982. Jones, Prudence J. Cleopatra: The Last Pharaoh. London: Haus, 2006.
Pyramids The pyramids of Egypt are the last remaining Wonder of the World. Even in the days of Ancient Egypt, when powerful pharaohs ruled over Egypt, the pyramids were considered a wonder. Today, the ruins of 35 pyramids still stand near the Nile River in Egypt. These pyramids were built to protect the bodies of Egyptian kings and other royalty but before the pyramids became the standard for burials, tombs were used for Egypt's early rulers, nobles, and other high ranking officials.
The pyramids of Egypt are fascinating, however, they remain to be a mystery. The well-built architecture is located in Giza, Egypt, on the west bank of the Nile River. The pyramids of Egypt are the oldest and only surviving member of ancient wonders. It is also the pride and one of the most important factors in Egyptian culture.