The Baker is a minor character in the DreamWorks film, Joseph: King of Dreams. He is one of Joseph's fellow prisoners, alongside the Butler. They both originally worked for the Pharaoh but were eventually imprisoned for unknown reasons. The Baker would ultimately be judged guilty and put to death for his crimes.
The character was based upon an unnamed indivdual of the same proffesion, who appears within the three texts of the Abrahamic religions.
Appearances[]
Joseph: King of Dreams[]
The Baker first met Joseph on the night that he was wrongfully sent to prison for a crime that he did not commit. He was thrown into the cell late at night. The commotion and their new cellmates pleas of innocence temporarily roused the man and his friend, Pharaoh's unnamed Butler from their sleep. After sarcastically stating that they knew of his innocence, the Baker rolled over and went back to sleep.
The following morning at breakfast, Joseph was woken by the Baker and the Butler talking about the strange dreams they had both had the previous night. Whilst the Baker tucked into a pitiful breakfast, comprising of a single piece of fruit, the Butler told him about how in his dream, he served Pharaoh a cup of wine, which he made from grapes that miraculously sprouted from three previously dried up vines. As the Baker admitted that was a fascinating dream, Joesph entered the conversation, stating that the Butler's dream was a prophetic one. He told his stunned cellmates that the vines in the dream represented the number of days before the Butler's release, whereupon he would return to work at the palace.
Initially, the Baker was dismissive of Joseph's so called "gift" believing it to be little more than a baseless lie. When the Butler expressed hope that maybe Joesph's interpretation was not false, the Baker smiled gleefully, before deciding to test Joesph's skills himself. As such, he told both the new arrival and his long time friend about his own recurring nightmare. Within the dream, he is carrying three baskets of bread to Pharaoh, one on top of the other. Whilst walking, the baskets fall to the ground and whilst trying to pick the loaves, the Baker is attacked by a swarm of birds. He notes that his attackers keep pecking at his face and eyes.
Story over, the Baker asks Joseph for an interpretation. Joseph initially claims that he does not know what the dream means, but the Baker immediately sees through this lie. Grabbing a clearly uncomfortable Joesph by the shoulder, the Baker angrily demands to know the meaning of his dream. With a heavy sigh, Joesph reluctantly confesses that his dream is similar to the Butler's but with a much different outcome. He tells the convict that he has three days left to live. On the third day, he will be beheaded, whereupon birds (like in his dream) will feast upon his remains.
Needless to say, the Baker was both shocked and horrified by this predicton. Furious, he lunged at Joseph stating that he was lying. Shaken by the prediction and horrifed at seeing his friend in such a state the Butler to intervened, pulling the two men a part. Putting a comforting hand on his friends shoulder, the second man told his companion not to listen to Joesph or his declarations ant more. Agreeing with his friends earlier statement, he assured him that they were not going anywhere.
Three days later, the prisoners were sitting quietly in the cell, having been given food for another meal. As Joesph sits apart from the others, the Butler looks over at his longtime friend. Haunted by Joesph's words, the Baker is shown looking downcast. There are three pieces of fruit next to him, one for each day. He picks one up, only to put it down again, having lost his appetite.
As he places the fruit on the floor however, the door to the cell suddenly opens. The three men look around nervously and the Baker gasps in horror as two shadows fall across himself and the Butler. Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the light outside are two of Pharaoh's soldiers. Glaring into the cell, one of the soldiers points directly at the Baker, telling his comrade to "Take him!"
Spear in hand, the second guard walks straight past Joesph and the Butler towards the now cowering Baker. Grabbing him by the wrist, the soldier pulls the terrified convict to his feet and begins to drag him outside to his waiting doom. With Joesph's prediction coming true, the Baker tries in vain to grab the Butler's hand either as a silent plea for help or a last, desperate farewell. A moment later, he is led past Joesph. The Canaanite can barely bring himself to look at the Egyptian, especially as the latter mournfully notes that he was right. All Joesph can do is sigh remorsefully, knowing that there is nothing he can do for the poor man. He just listens on pitifully as his former cellmate declaring that his gift is a curse.
These would the Baker's last known words. The last image that Joesph, the Butler, the second guard and the audience would ever see of him was the Baker's arm casting a long shadow on the wall, before he was dragged outside and executed. As this was happening, Joseph's second prediction also came true. The second guard told the Butler that he had been summoned back to the palace to resume his duties.
Trivia[]
- The Baker's real name was never revealed.
- Naturally, the film did not include any scenes relating to the Baker's execution. However, given that he did not reappear throughout the rest of the film, the movies correspondance to the original source material and the fact that all of Joesph's dream interpretations came true in one form or another, there is no doubt as to character's ultimate fate.
- It is never stated what crime the Baker commited to warrant his execution. Surviving Ancient Egyptian texts however, make it clear that execution via beheading was only reserved for serious offences like murder. These same texts also account for the Baker's horrified reaction following Joesph's interpretation. According to the Ancient Egyptian religion, a persons body needed to remain intact following their death, for them to have any chance of entering the afterlife. The Baker paniced and lashed out because Joesph had essentially told him that, by the tenenants of the mans own faith, he would have no chance of eternal peace.
- Following the Baker's death and the Butler's release, Joesph would spend the rest of his imprisonment tending to a small tree growing within the centre of his cell. This tree was unwittingly created by the Baker, when he threw away a piece of fruit, which landed in a crack in the floor. The tree would grow from the seeds of this plant.
