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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. Out of the thirteen barons, how many are killed in this first battle with Tanus?

2. What is the name of Taita's friend who gives him information and supplies prior to the battle with the Shrikes?

3. Near the end of the wedding feast, what does Taita discover about Pharaoh's personality?

4. How does Lostris treat the common people in the city?

5. When a beggar boy asks for alms from Taita, what does Taita give him?

Short Essay Questions

1. 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?

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

3. Why is Taita angered when he sees Lord Intef in Thebes? What does this reveal to the reader about Taita's character?

4. 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?

5. Explain Tanus's bow Lanata. How does this story about the weapon reveal Tanus's character?

6. 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?

7. How does Taita describe the hippo hunt? How does he see the animal in relation to divinity? What is the effect of the hippo hunt on Taita?

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. 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?

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

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