MovieChat Forums > Joseph: King of Dreams (2000) Discussion > What happened to Rachel and Zuleika?

What happened to Rachel and Zuleika?

posted 11 years ago by intemer
3 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone know what happened to them?

Rachel died, but from what?

And Zuleika was just cut out. Was she executed when her husband found out about the affair, or they just divorced that the producers felt there was no reason for the character to show up anymore?

I understand that it would be too dark to explain for a kids' movie, but sentencing someone to death, or telling a guy the Pharaoh will behead him is okay?

[–] mtman318 11 years ago

In the Bible, Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin (Joseph's younger brother). I'm just assuming this was the case in the movie as well.

As for Zuleika, I can only guess. I doubt she was executed. Perhaps they divorced (assuming they had divorce at that time). Or maybe they just continued in a loveless marriage. Maybe they even reconciled (not likely, though, since you never see them together afterward). I don't know if the commentary says anything, as I don't have the DVD.

[–] mtman318 10 years ago

Or maybe they just continued in a loveless marriage.

After watching this movie again, I suspect this was the case. If I understood correctly, Potiphar sent Joseph to prison rather than revoking the punishment entirely in order to protect both Zuleika's honor (at least in the eyes of others besides himself) and his own, by extension. Or maybe just his own--if he didn't punish Joseph in some way, it would mean he believed a slave over his own wife; and if he formally punished or separated from Zuleika in any way, not only would it mean the same thing as above, but also it would acknowledge that his own wife tried to sleep with a slave (meaning she chose a slave over him). Either way, his honor would be ruined, especially since his honor seems based on what society thinks of him rather than what he thinks of himself.

Anyway, long story short, had he divorced her or sent her to be executed, this would defeat the purpose of his sending Joseph to prison.

Another possibility--perhaps in addition to the above situation--is that Zuleika is ashamed by what she did, and deliberately hides herself from Joseph (and maybe other people altogether) as a result. She was clearly ashamed the last time we see her, too. Seeing as how the movie is shown almost exclusively from Joseph's point of view, this is very likely the case.

She may have also died due to a guilt "induced" illness--or in other words, perhaps anxiety and grief over her guilt led to illness and an early death. This one seems less likely, but it's impossible to say.

If there's one thing this movie is missing, it's a satisfying resolution to Zuleika's character, which I may make another thread about when I have more time to spare.

[–] Livana_Faolan 10 years ago

In the Bible, Rachel died after giving birth to Benjamin - before Joseph was sold into slavery; not after. The fact that Rachel dies after Joseph's enslavement is one of many unnecessary liberties that were taken by DreamWorks.