Moses

Moses
Background Information
Films	The Prince of Egypt
Voice	Val Kilmer (speaking) Amick Byram (singing)
Character information
Quote	"But I was their enemy. I was the prince of Egypt, the son of the man who slaughtered... their *children*! You've chosen the wrong messenger! H-how can I even speak to these people? "

Moses is the main protagonist in the film The Prince of Egypt. He is the son of Yoched and younger brother of Miriam and Aaron. As an infant, he was given away by his mother and was adopted by Queen Tuya and became Ramesses' adoptive younger brother. He is voiced by Val Kilmer (who also provides the voice of God) whereas his singing voice is provided by Amick Byram.

Personality

While growing up, Moses lived a carefree life of a prince, but after God showed him a dream of what Pharaoh Seti I did to the newborn Hebrews at the beginning of the film, Moses' personality was changed to serious but patient.

Role in Film

Moses as a Baby

At the beginning of the film, Pharaoh Seti I ordered that all the newborn Hebrews were to be killed because the population of Hebrews was growing faster than the Egyptians and Seti was afraid that they would rebel against them. As the cries of mothers echoes Egypt, Jochebed her daughter Miriam and son Aaron take their new born child to the Nile and place him in a basket. The mother kisses her child goodbye and sends him off into freedom. Miriam was asked to see that the infant made it safely through the hazardous river. The basket is left unscarred and when it finally stops, Queen Tuya finds it and opens the basket. To her astonishment, she finds a beautiful baby boy in the basket. Miriam sees her brother in a better place and prays that he comes back someday and deliver the Hebrews out of Egypt. Queen Tuya than goes to show Seti the baby boy she named Moses (which means "raised from the river")

File:The prince of egypt.jpg

Adolescent Moses

Years later, Moses grew up in a carefree life as a prince. One day, he and his adoptive brother, Rameses, were racing through the temple of Ra and made a mess of it. Rameses got in more trouble than Moses because he was next in line for the throne and Moses wasn't. After Rameses was called "a weak link in the chain" Moses asked Seti if Rameses could just have the opportunity to prove that he's worthy of the throne. Seti agree and later that night, he made Rameses Prince Regent. It was also at the party that Moses met his future wife, Zipporah (or Tzipporah). Zipporah is sent to Moses' room but she escapes and instead of turning her in, Moses let her go and followed her till he met Miriam and Aaron. Miriam was excited to meet her long lost brother but Aaron didn't seem to recognized him. Miriam tries to explain that Moses is not actually a prince and that he was her brother but Moses doesn't know what she's talking about. Before he storms off, Miriam sings the lullaby Jochebed sang to him as a baby. Moses recognizes that and runs back to the palace in confusion. Moses then falls asleep and God showed what Pharaoh Seti did in the beginning of the film and when Moses wakes up he's shocked to find a carving of Seti ordering all the newborns to be thrown in the Nile on the wall. Pharaoh Seti explains why he did this and tells Moses that they were only slaves, but Moses doesn't believe him and runs off. Moses is then seen at the spot where he was found as a baby and Queen Tuya tells him that he is their son and they loved him.

At the temple of Ra, Rameses is planning to redesign it and Moses saw all the hard working Hebrews but with a different impression. One slave was being wiped and Moses, out of reaction, came and killed the guard who whipped the slave. Moses then runs away, but Rameses tries to tell him that he can change what happen. However, Moses refuses to listen and leaves Egypt. He then travels the desert for a few days until a sand storm rolls in and buries him. A camel then takes a bite out of his hair, waking him up, and the leaves with a bag of water. In a lust for thirst, Moses follows the camel back to an oasis where he drinks the same water as the sheep. He then sees desert muggers picking on children and makes their camels run away free. Moses then accidentally falls down the well and the children try to get him out. Zipporah arrives and helps but when she recognized Moses, she dropped him back down to the bottom of the well.

Moses then spends a few years in the oasis and during that time, he and Zipporah were married. One day, while Moses was tending to the sheep, a lamb wandered into a cave and Moses follows. Inside the cave is a bush buring cool fire and before Moses knew it, the bush spoke. It was God that was talking him and He told Moses that He has heard the cries of the Hebrews and He has chosen Moses to bring His children out of Egypt. Moses listens and he and Zipporah return to Egypt. Moses and Rameses reunite after years of not seeing each other but the reunion is short lived Moses asks Rameses to let God's people go free. Rameses refuses and doubles the work load of the Hebrews (much to almost everyone's displease). Aaron then disses Moses when he's in the dirt but Miriam speaks otherwise. Moses then goes to the Nile and asks once again to let God's people go. Rameses refuses and in an instant, Moses turned the Nile to blood. Rameses thinks this is a trick and still refuses to let the Hebrews go.

Over the next few days, chaos rained over Egypt until finally the Angel of Death took the lives of the first born children of Egypt and Rameses gave Moses and the Hebrews his permission to go. Moses leads the Hebrews out of Egypt but before they could cross the Red Sea, Rameses and his army appear and plan to kill the Hebrews. However before they could get a chance, God summoned a tornado of fire to block the soldiers from reaching the Hebrews. Moses then made a clear pathway through the Red Sea and guided the Hebrews through. However, when they were almost on the other side, the fire tornado disappeared and Rameses and his soldiers charged toward the Hebrews. However, the walls of the sea began to fall and in an instant, all to the soldiers drowned and Rameses was left on shore in defeat. Moses says one last goodbye to his former brother and the film closes with him receiving the 10 Commandments.

Gallery

Moses is found by Tuya

Rameses Moses racing.jpg

Moses and Rameses race in their chariots

MosesPast.jpg

Moses discovers his past

Moses drinking from a well after wandering in the desert

Moses marrying Tzipporah

Animation reference sheet of Moses's appearance throughout the film

Portrait of Moses speaking to the Children of Israel