"The Prince of Egypt," DreamWorks' second full-length animated feature film, is an adaptation of the Book of Exodus. The film features complex characters like Pharaoh Seti I and his son Rameses II, whose actions significantly shape the narrative.
Pharaoh Seti I: A Tyrant with a Glimmer of Humanity
Pharaoh Seti I is the overarching antagonist of "The Prince of Egypt". He is the husband of Tuya, the father of Rameses, and the adoptive father of Moses. He was voiced by Sir Patrick Stewart.
Little is known of Pharaoh Seti or his reign before he committed the act that would immortalize him as a monster forever. Fearing the growing number of Hebrews could lead to rebellion, Seti orders a mass infanticide of all newborn Hebrew boys. However, one Hebrew woman named Yocheved managed to sent her infant son adrift on the river Nile using a small basket to escape the massacre. After a perilous journey, the infant would reach the royal palace where Seti's wife Queen Tuya picked him up and took him under her wings.
Years later, Seti is shown to be a stern leader, even to his own sons - though he is especially harsh towards Rameses, due to him being the heir to the throne. However, he was also shown to have a softer side. He also seems to be in a loving relationship with his wife as he would listen to her when she believed he was being too harsh on his sons. Later in the film, Seti appoints Rameses as Prince Regent (on the advice of Moses), placing him in charge of overseeing the construction of the temples.
Eventually, Moses discovered his true heritage after having a nightmare involving the massacre and exploring the royal palace, where he came across a depiction of the massacre, much to his horror. Upon seeing Moses grieving over this, a guilt-ridden Seti tries to comfort his adoptive son by explaining his reasons for the massacre and how he supposedly had no choice.
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Pharaoh Seti I is held up as a wise and powerful ruler in his kingdom of Egypt and is initially shown to be a sympathetic if strict father figure, but his true nature as a, demanding, abusive, argumentative, and power-hungry tyrant doesn't take long to seep through. However, despite his stern and cold behavior, especially towards his subjects, Seti does display some level of genuine love and care for his family, as he agreed to his wife's proposal to adopt Moses (although he never found out he was a Hebrew) and appointed Rameses as High Regent despite being continually hard on him, likely due to considering Moses' words about him living up to his expectations.
He even tried to comfort Moses over his responsibility behind the massacre and enslaving all the Hebrews when their population increased, implying a sense of guilt for the killing of the Hebrew infants as he is shown to have been disturbed by what he did, but believed it was necessary to preserve his life and power.
As a Pharaoh, Seti I is represented with a lion motif (as his son also is later on). Seti means "of Set", specifically the Egyptian god Set, who represents fish.
The Egyptian myth of the death of Osiris - Alex Gendler
The Myth of Isis and Osiris
For the Ancient Egyptians, the cycle of life itself began and ended with Isis and Osiris. Their story is one of the oldest known myths, and it informed spiritual beliefs, power structures, and gender roles in Ancient Egypt and beyond. Their story is one of the oldest known myths known to man.
Rameses II: From Brother to Antagonist
Pharaoh Rameses II, or simply Rameses as he is more commonly addressed, is the main antagonist of DreamWorks' 2nd full-length animated feature film "The Prince of Egypt", which is based on the Book of Exodus. He was voiced by Ralph Fiennes.
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In 'The Prince of Egypt,' Rameses is the son of Pharaoh Seti I and Queen Tuya, and the adoptive brother of Moses. After Moses's departure, Rameses ascends to the throne as Pharaoh, leading to a personal conflict with Moses. Rameses and Moses start as close brothers, sharing playful moments despite their father's strictness. As adults, their relationship changes when Moses returns from exile to demand the Hebrews' freedom. Rameses, now Pharaoh, refuses, leading to conflict.
As it turns out, Rameses' father Seti ordered that all first-born boys of the Hebrew slaves be thrown into the river after he received word of a prophecy saying that the slaves would be united under a leader chosen by God, and that Moses' biological mother only casted her son into the river to evade the massacre. The young Rameses was by his mother's side as she took his new baby brother to meet the Pharaoh.
After the prologue, Rameses and Moses are in their teens and prone to mischief, particularly wild chariot races across the city. Both brothers are competitive but remain fairly good-natured towards one another. However, a short time later, Rameses is appointed Prince Regent by his father (who was moved by an appeal from Moses on his brother's behalf), and he promptly appoints Moses as Royal Chief Architect.
Later on, Rameses is overseeing the building of a great temple when Moses (who had just learned of his true Hebrew heritage) strikes a guard abusing an old slave and accidentally kills him in the process. Rameses is shocked and confused, and ran after his brother as he flees; he shows little concern over the death of the guard and even tells Moses that, as royalty, he can see to it that the crime will never be heard of again. However, Moses is too full of regret and confusion and flees into the desert, leaving Rameses heartbroken.
During Moses' exile in the desert, Rameses ascends to the throne after the death of his father, and married a woman named Nefertari, who became his Queen and gave birth to their son. During Rameses' reign, the oppression of the Hebrews becomes worse as Rameses continues to build his new kingdom, determined to carve a legacy as legendary as his father's.
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When Moses finally returns, Rameses is overjoyed and approaches to embrace him. Hotep and Huy are quick to try and ruin the reunion, however, by insisting Rameses enforce the death sentence placed upon Moses for killing the guard; however, Rameses dismisses them and proclaims Moses innocent of all crimes and a prince of Egypt. Moses warns of consequences, but Rameses' stubbornness prevails, resulting in tragedy.
Rameses is the main antagonist in "The Prince of Egypt" because he is the Pharaoh who resists Moses and keeps the Hebrews enslaved. His actions, like committing murder and attempting genocide, show his egotism and need for control.
Moses gestures to the city beyond and asks what Rameses sees; where his focus is drawn to the slaves struggling with construction projects, Rameses is drawn to the monuments, temples and other buildings assembled at his direction, overshadowing those his father made; he claims "I see a greater Egypt, than that of my father."
Feeling betrayed, Rameses becomes angry, telling Moses "I do not know this God!" and that he will not let the Hebrews be set free, also ranting that he cannot allow himself to become the weak link Seti previously described him as.
The two brothers' confrontation reaches its climax after God unleashes eight more successive plagues upon the kingdom of Egypt. Although the resulting suffering gradually becomes unbearable, Rameses becomes increasingly angry and unbending, refusing to give in to Moses' demands.
Overwhelmed with grief, Rameses simply tells Moses that he, and the Hebrews, have his permission to go. Moses tries to comfort Rameses for his loss by putting his hand on his shoulder, but he angrily pulls himself away and demands that Moses leave him.
However, Rameses had not truly intended to let the Hebrews leave and vows to murder them all in revenge, even if it means killing his adopted brother. He sets about across the desert, cornering them at the Red Sea with his royal army in tow and then charges at the departing assemblage with the intent of annihilating them.
He then yells out Moses' name one last time in anger and sorrow, broken by his own defeat. Rameses' ultimate fate afterwards is unknown.
Rameses is portrayed as a tragic figure, in so far as the close relationship he has with Moses in the movie and his deep-seated desire to not be the "weak link" of his family. He is stubborn, obstinate, headstrong, very concerned about honoring his dynasty, and serious especially about becoming the next Pharaoh of Egypt.
For all his positive traits, there is no debating Rameses' eventual turn to power-hungry oppressor when he is crowned Pharaoh of Egypt. His more sympathetic side is crushed beneath the weight of his responsibilities, and he becomes determined to build a great legacy for himself no matter how many Hebrew slaves or subjects he works to the bone.
Like his father, Rameses is represented with a lion motif when he becomes Pharaoh. In real life, Pharaohs were known to keep big cats and the lion was viewed as a symbol of kingship.
The Making of "The Prince of Egypt"
The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American animated musical drama film directed by Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, and Simon Wells, and written by Philip LaZebnik, from a story by Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook. It is the first traditionally animated film from DreamWorks Animation, and the first to be animated entirely in-house at DWA Glendale after Amblimation was closed in 1997.
DreamWorks co-founder and CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg had frequently suggested an animated adaptation of the 1956 film The Ten Commandments while working for The Walt Disney Company, and he decided to put the idea into production after leaving Disney and co-founding DreamWorks Pictures in 1994.
The animation team for The Prince of Egypt, including 350 artists from 34 different nations, was primarily recruited both from Walt Disney Feature Animation, which had fallen under Katzenberg's auspices while at the Walt Disney Company, and from Amblimation, a defunct division of Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment.
There are 1,192 scenes in the film, and 1,180 contain work done by the special effects department, which animates everything in an animated scene which is not a character: blowing wind, dust, rainwater, shadows, etc.
The film grossed $218 million worldwide in theaters, which made it the most successful non-Disney animated feature at the time. The song "When You Believe" became a commercially successful single in a pop version performed by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey.
Reviews were generally positive; critics particularly praised the visuals, songs, score, and voice acting. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the film in his review saying that "The Prince of Egypt is one of the best-looking animated films ever made.
The film is an accomplishment of the American entertainment industry. I think Ridley Scott and Cecil DeMille did a better job telling the story of the book of Exodus, but this movie is still a masterpiece. An amazing cast, beautiful musical numbers, nostalgic animation, and an incredible story make this movie absolutely incredible!
In this animated retelling of the Book of Exodus, Egyptian Prince Moses (Val Kilmer), upon discovering his roots as a Jewish slave, embarks on a quest to free his people from bondage. When his plea is denied by his brother Rameses (Ralph Fiennes), the new pharaoh, a series of horrific plagues strike Egypt. Moses finally leads the Israelites to freedom by parting the Red Sea and drowning the Egyptian army.
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