Reading Notes: Egypt Part B

Notes: Egypt Part B....The Tale of King Rhampsinitus

(Hieroglyphics by Wiki Commons)

Plot Stand Outs:

The plot of this story had many twist and turns. One of the major plot twist was in the beginning when one of the two brothers gets trapped within the chamber and the other brother must cut off his head to protect his family's identity. The other big plot twist was at the end when King Rhampsinitus offered the brother his daughter as a wife for his cunning abilities. 

The ending was fairly quick paced so if I was to retell the story I would make it not only clearer, but also extend it slightly to offer a more in-depth explanation. 


Point of View:

The story is written in third person, which is beneficial to get across all the details and switch characters as needed. The author used direct quotes and also explaining character's thoughts. Good examples include when the brother's are talking to one another they use dialogue to convey what they feel and think. The mother does not have dialogue, but the reader is informed how sad she is and that she is grieving. The reader is then informed of the demands of the mother to the son to retrieve the brother's body. 

If I were to retell the story I may utilize first person point of view. It may be fun to tell the story from the mother's perspective or even the daughter of King Rhampsinitus. 


Possible Changes:  

While the story was great (awesome plot, lots of drama, and straight to the point), it seems a little gory to me. While I may keep the gory events, because they do play critical parts in the story, I may just remove emphasis on them.

• Story told from the daughter of King Rhampsinitus: She watches her father get robbed, she asks the brother what horrible thing he has done, she attempts to trap him but he gets away, her father is impressed and she must marry him. She may not be happy to marry him and then runs away. It could be in letter format to her mother or sister. 

Bibliography: 

Egyptian Myth and Legend Part B by Donald Mackenzie. Website: Mythology and Folklore UN-Textbook