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

2. What hunt do Taita and Lostris attend with Pharaoh before the windstorm strikes?

3. What kind of horoscope does Pharaoh demand of Taita on his wedding night?

4. Pharaoh's palace is in the southernmost part of Egypt. What reason do some people give for this?

5. Why is Taita nervous about the pageant at the end of the festival?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

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. When Taita works the Mazes for Pharaoh, what does he see? Why does he lie to the king about what he sees? What might the effect have been if he didn't lie?

4. After Taita is whipped because he dares to petition for Lostris and Tanus's marriage, Lostris cares for his wounds. How does she reveal that she is still a child? What hope does the reader have that her marriage to Tanus will occur?

5. 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?

6. When the people cry out to Pharaoh to give Tanus mercy from the death sentence, what does Pharaoh do? What leads to this decision? Does it show Pharaoh's mercy or his weakness?

7. 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?

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

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

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

What is the question of slavery in Taita's mind? Despite his position in life, why does he justify it? How does his opinion fit with ancient Egyptian culture? Reference pages 118 and 432, among others, for Taita's words.

Essay Topic 3

When Taita dreams to explain Lostris's second and third pregnancies, the lords believe him. Is there belief rooted in superstition or religion? How is their belief affected by their conviction in the gods?

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