The Tale of Two Brothers (Anubis & Bata) | Reader’s Theater Script | Egyptian Mythology

The Tale of Two Brothers (Anubis & Bata) Reader’s Theater Script of Egyptian Mythology explores the story of two siblings Anubis (older) and Bata (younger) that share a humble life on a small farm. Trouble begins when Anubis’s wife tries to seduce Bata and, upon being refused, fabricates a lie that he attacked her. Outraged, Anubis attempts to kill Bata, only to discover the wife’s treachery later. Fleeing to the Valley of the Pine, Bata places his heart in the pine’s blossom to safeguard himself, but a series of betrayals—primarily from a wife the gods create for him—leads to his repeated transformations (bull, persea trees, finally reborn as a child) and eventual marriage to the Pharaoh. After many twists, Bata becomes king, punishes the false wife, and reconciles with Anubis, appointing him heir. The tale ends with unity restored: despite betrayal, the brothers’ bond endures, aided by the gods’ intervention and Bata’s magical powers of rebirth.

The resources consists of an editable DOCX file (13 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

• ~7 Characters, 1230 words

3) Script Worksheet

• 15 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 ~20 minutes for prep, discussion, vocabulary or short answer comprehension questions should also be planned.