The Perfect Woman
Throughout history, there have been countless women who stood out and made a name for themselves. Some were great rulers, some were fierce soldiers, and most were great lovers. While this may be the case, one can honestly say that if they were males, they would have received even greater praise for their feats. However, in Christine De Pizan’s, The Book of the City of Ladies, there stands a great woman who holds all three of the characteristics above, whom had no intention of letting them go. Also, this woman, or lady, was so feared, that all men who rebelled against her shook at the very thought of her presence. With that said, it is safe to say that this woman not only surpassed expectations of women at the time, but also surpassed those of men. So who is this great and feared ruler of a lady that I am speaking of? Who is said to be the sister of the great god Jupiter and daughter to the old god Saturn? I am speaking, of course, about the truly heroic woman known as Queen Semiramis.
Queen Semiramis was the bride of King Nunis, who named the city of Nineveh after himself. While the queen was, in fact, a queen (meaning that she was expected to perform duties like one, such as acting very graceful, guiding her king, etc.) she was also, at the same time, the farthest thing from one. With her help, King Nunis was able to conquer the vast lands of Assyria, and that it to say the least. Both of whom were actually in the battles, King Nunis and Queen Semiramis were able to take the great and mighty city known as Babylon. Shortly after, the queen would find herself alone, to rule the mighty kingdom that her and her husband had built. On a side note, what is one stigma that seems to be attached to being alone? The answer is being scared. However, “being scared” was not only something that Queen Semiramis wasn’t, but also two words that were not in her vocabulary. Rather, she would find herself enraged with renewed vigor that would allow her to have her kingdom in a chokehold. This also proves that she was, in fact, a great lover, as she found new strength from the death of her husband; something that many, if not all, people who are grieving cannot do.
As a person, the great trials and tribulations that Queen Semiramis were able to conquer developed her into a mighty person. There is no other word that can adequately describe her, as she almost sought enjoyment from battles, making her a ferocious warrior and feared ruler. Furthermore, there was one instance where she put down a rebellion so fiercely that every other nation in her empire feared to go against her. How many male rulers can one person list that have done such an impressive deed? At the same time of being a mighty and feared ruler, let us examine her other side. In The Book of the City of Ladies, it describes a situation where she was “surround by her handmaidens, who were busy combing her hair.” Although short, this passage gives connotation to the idea that she did care for her appearance, and that she did have a graceful side. Furthermore, she was wedded to her own son. Although this may be seen as an act of incest, disgrace, and dishonor, one must also examine why she did it in the first place. First of all, she didn’t want any other crowned lady to share her empire. Now her move isn’t looking like such a bad idea. Secondly, she didn’t think any woman was worthy of being her son’s bride. Now, she appears to be a great mother; something that a queen must be, as well as something that the queen appears not be.
To conclude, we should honestly be able to say that Queen Semiramis was mighty in all aspects of her life. In general, if she was ever a candidate running to be spokeswoman for woman everywhere, I would most definitely vote for her. Matter of fact, I would also want to be a woman myself. Why? I would be getting the indication that all women are strong, fierce, great rulers, great lovers, intolerant to people going against her, and also kind to her appearance. These things are all attributes to Queen Semiramis, who has certainly earned her place at the top.
Jonathan Ahn
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