View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Pharaoh's last wish to Lostris?

2. How are the Shrike barons and Rasfer executed?

3. How does Lord Intef escape his execution with the Shrike barons?

4. What proves that Lord Intef owned the chests of treasure hidden in his palace?

5. What does Memnon argue so that he can go hunting with Taita and the other charioteers?

Short Essay Questions

1. How do the Egyptian ships navigate through the cataracts? How is this a testimony to their technological skill, especially because of Taita?

2. What is Taita's reaction to the birth of Memnon? How does he slightly bridge the gap between the roles that both Tanus and Pharaoh play in Lostris's life?

3. Why do Lostris and Tanus disagree over the fate of the Hyksos horses? How does this argument illustrate their respective places in society?

4. The Egyptians are terrified at the approach of the Hyksos army. What are the reasons for their fear? Do these fears contradict or affirm their previous actions as warriors? Who understands the importance of this eastern enemy the best?

5. Why will so few people ride astride a horse? (Throughout the novel, only Hui, Taita, and Memnon dare this.) What reaction do they get when people see them astride the horses? Why do you think they get this reaction?

6. What is Pharaoh's reaction to the revelation of Akh-Seth? How does this demonstrate his weakness as a leader?

7. At age five, how does Memnon begin to assert himself? How does Smith draw out the contradictions between his age and his social position? What does Memnon's attitude predict for the future?

8. Why do the common people love Lostris? What does she do to encourage their love? How does she prepare the way for their acceptance of Memnon as rule?

9. How does Taita justify the enslavement of the Shilluk people? What does he observe about their customs and what does he seek to change? How do the Shilluk customs of marriage differentiate, in a large part, their culture from that of the Egyptians?

10. What happens when the Nile floods? How does this event bring together science and religious observation? How is it also an opportunity for vice, particularly greed?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

What role does Rasfer play in the novel? To what extent is he the obvious incarnation of Lord Intef's evil thoughts? What is Rasfer's role in Taita's life? Does Taita, in the end, forgive him?

Essay Topic 3

What value of the story comes in its historical background? Does the story become any richer or more plausible because of the history? How might you read the novel if you knew it was completely fictional?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 2,209 words (approx. 8 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample