Disrupting hegemonic power: royalty, gender and the gaze in the Song of Songs

The Song of Song’s history of interpretation is testament to its power as a contentious text. This thesis draws upon feminist biblical scholarship, biblical masculinities studies and literary criticism to investigate how the lovers in the Song of Songs disrupt hegemonic power in three primary ways: through their appropriation of royalty, in their subversion of ancient gender expectations and in the disruptive power of their gazes. This study will show that the lovers fashion themselves as royals whilst simultaneously parodying Solomon’s power as a king and as a man. Moreover, this thesis will identify how both lovers embody “femininity” and “masculinity”, thereby blurring and disrupting ancient gender expectations. This investigation will conclude with a discussion of the Song of Song’s prevalent male gaze and argue that a female gaze is likewise present.