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Exposition is a literary device used to introduce background information about events, settings, characters etc. to the audience or readers. The word comes from the Latin language and its literal meaning is “a showing forth.” Exposition is essential to any story, for without it nothing later on makes sense.

Example: 

Once upon a time, there were three bears. There was a Daddy Bear, who was very big, a Mama Bear, who was middle-sized, and a Baby Bear, who was very small. They all lived together in a little cottage in the middle of the woods. Their favorite breakfast was porridge. One morning, after they made their porridge, Daddy Bear said, ‘Let’s go for walk in the woods until it cools.’ Mama Bear and Baby Bear liked the idea, so off they went. While they were away, a little girl named Goldilocks came walking through the forest and smelled the porridge…

With the help of a single passage, the author of the story has given us an overview of the bear family, their residence and information on how the story sets in motion.

In Egypt the sun was worsipped as the greatest god and was called Ra (or Re). Osiris was the god of a cult for the dead, a hero who had died and been resurrected. Isis was the wife and sister of Osiris; she was the patron goddess of mariners.