The Prince of Egypt (1998)
A Biblical epic animated musical drama, The Prince of Egypt follows Moses from his upbringing as an Egyptian prince to his discovery of his Hebrew origins and his calling to lead the Israelites out of slavery. After learning the truth about his identity, Moses leaves Egypt, later receives a divine call, and returns to demand the Hebrews’ freedom. When Pharaoh Rameses refuses, a series of plagues strikes Egypt. Moses ultimately leads his people out of Egypt, and the story culminates with the parting of the Red Sea.
Narrative Score
Full Plot & Ending Explained
Intro
The film opens in Ancient Egypt, where Pharaoh Seti I orders Hebrew baby boys to be killed because he fears their growing population will lead to rebellion. Yocheved, a Hebrew mother, saves her newborn son by placing him in a basket on the Nile, while her daughter Miriam follows the basket to the palace and watches Queen Tuya adopt the baby and name him Moses.
Turning Point 1
Years later, Moses is raised as a prince alongside Rameses, the son and heir of Seti. After the two young men accidentally destroy a temple during a reckless chariot race, Seti rebukes them, and Moses awkwardly defends Rameses, leading Seti to appoint Rameses as prince regent. At a banquet, the priests Hotep and Huy present the captive Midianite woman Tzipporah as a gift, but when she resists, Moses humiliates her before the crowd, and Rameses gives Tzipporah to Moses and makes him Royal Chief Architect.
Turning Point 2
Later that night, Moses helps Tzipporah escape and follows her out of the palace, where he unexpectedly meets Miriam and Aaron, his real siblings, though he does not recognize them at first. Miriam sings the lullaby Yocheved once sang to him, triggering Moses’s memories, and he is shaken by nightmares and by Seti’s cold admission that the Hebrew children were sacrificed so Egypt would be safe. Horrified by the truth of his identity and the fate of his people, Moses flees Egypt after accidentally causing the death of an Egyptian taskmaster while trying to stop him from whipping an elderly Hebrew slave.
Turning Point 3
In the desert, Moses collapses and is taken in by Jethro, a Midianite priest and Tzipporah’s father, where he gradually builds a new life and marries Tzipporah. While chasing a sheep, he encounters the burning bush, through which God calls him by name and commands him to return to Egypt and lead the Hebrews out of slavery. Moses reluctantly accepts his mission and returns to face Rameses, who has now become pharaoh.
Turning Point 4
Moses and Aaron demand the release of the Hebrews, and when Rameses refuses, Moses demonstrates God’s power by turning his staff into a serpent. After that, a series of devastating plagues strikes Egypt: the Nile turns to blood, frogs overrun the land, lice and insects afflict the people, disease kills livestock, hail and fire batter Egypt, darkness covers the land, and finally the firstborn sons of Egypt die while the Hebrews are spared.
Turning Point 5
Shattered by the final plague, Rameses finally lets the Hebrews go, but then changes his mind and leads the Egyptian army after them. Moses guides the Israelites to the Red Sea, where they panic at the sight of the pursuing chariots. Moses raises his staff, the sea splits, and the Hebrews cross safely while the Egyptian army follows; when the waters rush back, Rameses is nearly drowned and is forced to acknowledge Moses as no longer his brother but the leader of a free people.
Ending
After the crossing, the Israelites celebrate their escape, and Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai, confirming his role as the covenant leader of his people. The film ends with Moses returning to lead the Hebrews forward, while the Red Sea and the destruction of Egypt stand as the final cost of their freedom.
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