The Legend of Osiris and Isis | Reader’s Theater Script | Egyptian Mythology

The Legend of Osiris and Isis Reader’s Theater Script of Egyptian Mythology explores one of ancient Egypt’s influential myths. It follows Osiris, a benevolent ruler who brings civilization to a once-barbaric land, and Isis, his devoted wife and a powerful enchantress. Their story unfolds against the treachery of Set, Osiris’s jealous brother, culminating in Osiris’s death and eventual rebirth in the underworld. This script explores themes of betrayal, love, resurrection, and the cosmic order that shaped Egyptian religion for millennia. For a more detailed script summary see below.

The resources consists of an editable DOCX file (18 pages) which contains:

1) Teacher Tips & Answer Key

• CCSS Alignment
• Teacher Tips for use as both RT and Play/Skit
• Answer Keys for Worksheet
• Themes & Discussion Question Prompts

2) Readers Theater Script

• ~15 Characters, 2200 words

3) Script Worksheet

• 10 Vocabulary Words
• 10 Short-Answer Comprehension Questions: Comprehension and recall questions based solely on the script
• Character Traits Chart - Students write 1 or 2 adjectives that describe the main characters in the script and support their answers with quotes from the script.

Teaching Tips for Using the Script:

• For digital classrooms, upload the DOCX Script and convert to Google docs
• For More Students: Main character can be read by multiple students.
• For Less Students: Minor characters can be read by just one student.
• This script should take about ~20 minutes and depending on your classroom's level it may be suitable for other grade levels.
• An extra ~25 minutes for prep, discussion, vocabulary or short answer comprehension questions should also be planned.

Script Summary:

Osiris, born under extraordinary circumstances as Nut’s first child, becomes a generous king who teaches laws, farming, and reverence for the gods. Meanwhile, his brother Set seethes with envy. Upon Osiris’s return from spreading civilization abroad, Set tricks him into lying in a custom-fitted chest, seals it, and casts him into the Nile. Heartbroken, Isis searches tirelessly for Osiris’s body, eventually finding it in the palace pillar of Byblos. However, Set discovers and desecrates the body again, scattering it into fourteen pieces. Undaunted, Isis, aided by Nephthys and Anubis, gathers the remains and performs the first mummification rites. Osiris, revived, ascends as king of the underworld, while Isis conceives or confirms Horus, who later confronts Set. The myth ends by underscoring Osiris’s eternal role as judge of the dead and symbol of resurrection, forever guiding the cycle of life and death in Egyptian belief.