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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why did Tanus's father die an unhappy death?

2. Why does Pharaoh boast of Taita's abilities as a physician?

3. Contrary to Pharaoh's plans, why does Lostris set out to charm him?

4. In the festival pageant, who plays the role of Seth, an evil god?

5. After Taita witnesses the lovers' kiss, what does Lostris demand of him?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the song that Tanus and his men sing during the thick of battle? What effect would this song have on the enemy?

2. 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?

3. What does Taita learn from his friend Tiamat about the Shrikes? How does this explain the destitution of Egypt and the weakness of Pharaoh?

4. What account does Taita give of the girl he loved when he was sixteen? How does his telling of it, half his lifetime later, show the changes he has gone through? Is he more cynical or more understanding of what happened?

5. Throughout this first section, what evidence does Taita give that he is a favored slave? What was the cost of this favor?

6. Why is Lord Intef delighted to arrange the marriage between Lostris and Pharaoh? What plans does he reveal to Taita? How does even this brief interaction show Taita's unstable position in the court?

7. 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?

8. How does Lostris interact with Pharaoh during their first three months of marriage? Though Smith does not say this is so many words, how does Pharaoh reveal his true character during this time?

9. How does Taita foreshadow the coming marriage for Lostris? How does this affect the element of surprise within the novel?

10. What scheme does Taita dream up to help Tanus engage the Shrikes in battle for the first time? How is this scheme something that perhaps only Taita would think of?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When does Taita use his potions and why? What variety of potions does he use? Are they mostly used for good or for evil? What are the consequences in the lives of the people who use the potions?

Essay Topic 2

What role do animals play in Egyptian culture? How are animals tied closely to the gods? How does this change when they encounter unknown animals? Do they continue to deify or vilify them?

Essay Topic 3

Taita usually refers to his country as "this very Egypt". How does this show respect? How does it reveal his sentiments toward his nation? How is this sentiment bound up with his belief in the gods?

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This section contains 2,011 words (approx. 7 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample