Print
Word
PDF
|
| Name: _________________________ | Period: ___________________ |
This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. How are Taita's animals killed?
2. When Taita returns to Lostris, why is she sick?
3. Who is bitterly saddened by what Taita displays over the harem wall?
4. Who is Kratas?
5. How do the soldiers respond when Tanus orders them to put on the dresses of slave girls?
Short Essay Questions
1. When Taita disguises himself as a priest so that he is not recognized in his native city Thebes, how is he treated? What does this say about the Egyptian people's attitude toward their religion? What does this say about the priests' ethics?
2. What is Tanus's reaction to the news of Lostris's coming marriage? What does this reveal about his character? Is this an admirable reaction?
3. What will be the crowning moment of Pharaoh's life? What is Taita's reaction to this moment and how does the reaction seem contrary to Egyptian thought?
4. What power does Pharaoh's seal have? Why must a man acknowledge it, as Tanus does when Neter comes to arrest him? Is this seal a sign of power or of weakness?
5. How does Taita foreshadow the coming marriage for Lostris? How does this affect the element of surprise within the novel?
6. What are Taita's emotions during and after the battle with the Shrikes? How do these emotions explain several facets of his personality? What does this say for Smith's ability to create a complex character?
7. What is the immediate effect as Tanus begins to rout the Shrikes? How does this change affect people's loyalty to Pharaoh? What do you think might be the long-term effects of this new loyalty?
8. Why does Lostris want to die on her wedding night? Does Taita respond properly to her demands for poison? Why?
9. What does Taita learn from his friend Tiamat about the Shrikes? How does this explain the destitution of Egypt and the weakness of Pharaoh?
10. In the days leading up to Lostris's wedding, Taita is not allowed to go near her. Even during the wedding ceremony, he stands at the back of the crowd and cannot see much. What is the literary significance of Taita's inability to see Lostris? How does this relate to Smith's silence about Tanus's reaction?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Twice Taita wishes that he could retract the evil he had spoken: Lostris's marriage and the coming of the Hyksos. How effective is this as a literary technique? Does it build suspense for the reader or diminish it? How does it change the reader's expectations for what happens next in the novel?
Essay Topic 2
How does Taita spend his two years in Arkoun's prison? What does this reveal about his personality? Does the reader ever lose hope of his rescue? Given his conversations with Masara, what does the reader come to expect?
Essay Topic 3
What value do vows to the gods have? Consider Lostris's vow to the gods that she will properly bury Pharaoh. How does this vow drive her life? What are the consequences if such a vow is broken? What does this say about Egyptian religion?
|
This section contains 2,053 words (approx. 7 pages at 300 words per page) |
|
