Beyoncé, Jay-Z and the history of the power partnership
Love or hate, together they dominate
By Asher Kohn
There may be rougher things in life than having Beyoncé sing “Middle fingers up, put them hands high / wave it in his face, tell him, boy bye” about you. But the lyrics to “Sorry” showed the decidely, um, textured nature of their relationship, making visible — and audible — some of the cracks in the facade of happiness in the Beyoncé/Jay-Z arrangement.
Their love has been strong, but tense, at turns romantic, glamorous, and strained. Regardless, they both benefit from a partner who can help them fulfill their own ambitions. Think of them as the Frank and Claire Underwood of music.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z are an unmatched match, but their partnership of equals does have some historical precedents.
Mark Antony and Cleopatra
The most powerful man in Rome. The most powerful woman in Egypt. A Mediterranean mega-couple. Mark Antony reached out to Cleopatra, to ensure her support in his wars to rule the Roman Empire. Cleopatra previously had a relationship with Caesar but when he was assassinated, she took up with Antony, believing he would be the next great Roman leader. Antony, naturally, agreed.
Unfortunately for both of them, the Roman people saw Mark Antony’s love for Cleopatra as a betrayal of Rome itself. Octavian eventually defeated Antony’s armies, and as the noose tightened on the duo, they committed double suicide.
Eleanor of Aquitane and King Henry II
England and France were more or less at war from 1066 to 1815. The only exception was when France’s Eleanor of Aquitane married King Henry II of England in 1152. That’s not to say it was a happy marriage. Henry imprisoned his wife in 1173 for supporting their first son over him in a revolt. But Eleanor prevailed in the end, outliving her husband and going on to rule Britain.
Suleyman and Roxelana
You don’t get the nickname “Suleyman the Magnificent” for nothing. The Ottoman sultan conquered a decent chunk of Europe, remodeled Jerusalem, and fell in love with a slave girl.
Roxelana, originally from southern Russia, was supposed to be just a concubine in Suleyman’s harem. But she was elevated and exalted in the realm. She also convinced the sultan to kill his favorite son and make her child his heir instead. A bit more vicious than a diss track.
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera
Even before that Selma Hayek movie came out, Frida Kahlo was one of the world’s most revered feminist painters. But as her famous quote — “I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best” — goes to show she may have been somewhat on her own with two-decades-older husband, Diego Rivera. He was a muralist, revolutionary, and philanderer. They both had numerous affairs, though Rivera sleeping with Kahlo’s younger sister was probably the most remarkable.
The couple divorced after a decade (only to remarry a year later and split up again), but they were some of the most creative years of both artists’ lives.
Bill and Hillary Clinton
When AP US History students look back on our time, the bored teens may be amazed to learn that Hillary Clinton’s husband was once President.
Bill was President during an unprecedented economic upswing, during which time he gave speeches really well and slept around with interns. Hillary stuck with him and became a senator and Secretary of State. She’s not a perfect — or even very good — comparison to Queen Bey, but that hasn’t stopped many outlets from holding Hillary up as an example of how to deal with a cheating husband. Those websites should consider giving advice to men on how to defer to a wife with grand plans, instead.
