The Curse of King Tut

Essential questions: What is superstition? Do we have a responsibility to study ancient artifacts? What can we learn from the past?

Preview vocabulary. (5 minutes)

• Project the Vocabulary Words and Definitions and preview with students. Highlighted words: breach, curator, desecrate, desolate, euphoric, excavate, hieroglyphs, jinxing, malarkey, robust, sarcophagus

Do now. (2 minutes)

• Write this question on the board: Why do people believe in curses and other superstitions? Have students answer the question on their own paper.

Preview text features. (10 minutes)

• To build context, preview the images as a class. Ask volunteers to read the captions aloud.
• Read the “As You Read” box on page 10. Ask students to share what they wrote in the Do Now. Some may say that curses can appear to explain things that seemingly have no other explanation, that a family member might pass on a belief, or that the idea of a curse can be more interesting than the truth.

• Play the pronunciation guide for the challenging names in the play.
• Assign parts and read the play aloud as a class.  
• Have students discuss the following in groups.

Close-Reading Questions

• What is the tone of the prologue? What creates this tone? (tone) The tone of the prologue is spooky and ominous. One way this tone is created is by having the narrators speak only a few words at a time. This draws out the strange information they are providing and makes them sound creepy. The line “Ten years later, he died. Mysteriously” also creates the spooky, ominous tone—particularly the way “mysteriously” is set off from the sentence for emphasis. The detail that some believe Tut’s tomb is cursed and that opening it “would unleash a powerful evil” also contributes to the tone. The line “until now” hints that something bad is about to happen.
• In Scene 1, which line offers a clue to the meaning of euphoric? (context clues) After Lord Carnarvon says that he is euphoric, Lady Herbert says, “I know, Father. Your archaeology team has just made the discovery of the century. Your name will live forever in history books.” Carnarvon would likely be very happy about this, so you can infer that euphoric means “very happy.”
• In Scene 1, does Lord Carnarvon’s doctor believe in King Tut’s curse? Explain. (inference) Yes, he seems to; after Carnarvon dies, the doctor says, “It seems the curse has claimed its first victim.”
• At the end of Scene 2, why does Howard Carter decide to wait to open the tomb until Lord Carnarvon arrives? (character motivation) Carnarvon is funding Carter’s work, and the two men are business partners. You can tell that Carter respects Carnarvon and feels Carnarvon has a right to be present at such an important moment.
• In Scene 4, how does Gardiner feel about the curse? How can you tell? (character, inference) Gardiner is wavering between believing and not believing. He says, “I can’t help but wonder if these serpents have real power. People have warned me that a curse will be unleashed if we enter this tomb.” When Carter calls the curse “hogwash,” Gardiner says, “I do hope you are right,” which suggests that Gardiner isn’t sure what he believes.
• What is the significance of the cobra in the final scene? Explain how you know. (inference, text structure) The presence of the cobra in the final scene hints that Angela is the intended next victim of the curse of King Tut. You know this because the cobra has appeared at several other points in the play: A cobra slithers out from under Carnarvon’s bed right after he dies, a cobra kills Carter’s pet canary, Moussa says that the cobra is a symbol of protection for the pharaoh, and Gardiner sees a gilded wooden cobra in Tut’s tomb and wonders whether it has the power to protect the pharaoh. By the play’s final scene, you understand that cobras are associated with the curse. That Angela is carrying treasures from Tut’s tomb provides a reason for the cobra to appear again; that she nearly has an accident when she swerves to avoid the snake shows that she may be in danger.

Read the essay “The Power of Curses” aloud to the class. Then have students work in groups to answer the following critical-thinking questions, which apply to both the play and the essay.

Critical-Thinking Questions

• What evidence in the play supports the idea that no curse exists? Although Carter is in charge of the excavation, he remains unharmed. Also, Mace’s collapse turns out to be the result of overheating. Students should also refer to the caption titled “Explanation for the Curse” (p. 14), which offers a scientific explanation of Carnarvon’s death.
• Is there a way to prove that the curse of King Tut, the Billy Goat curse, or any other curse is or is not real? Explain. Answers will vary. Students may suggest that if you can provide an alternate explanation for why something did or did not happen, you might be able to dispel belief in a curse—but that you can never totally prove or disprove that a curse exists because curses are not based in science. People who strongly believe one way or the other may not be dissuaded, regardless of what evidence is presented to them.

Break students into groups to complete the activity Drawing Conclusions About the Curse. This activity will prepare students to respond to the writing prompt on page 15. For alternative culminating tasks, see the boxes below.