I just had this thought while in the shower.
I saw a couple posts about how easy the traps in Atem's tomb was, and honestly while I can't agree more (as long you know the information to pass the tests), I also wondered...
But what if the point of them was to reflect Atem as a Pharaoh?
Correct me if I am wrong with any of these, but I believe the first trap was that you couldn't just enter--you made a wrong step and activated spears to impale you.
I believe that is meant to reflect that Atem is a cautious and calculating person. It shows when he duels and how he rules that he thinks things through before taking any steps that could potentially harm someone.
The next trap is the maze with all of the soldiers. The answer to this trap is walking with your right foot forward--in Egypt, that meant you pledged your heart to the Pharaoh.
I believe this reflects that Atem is loyal. We see time and time again that he doesn't give up on his loved ones and friends--hell, even for those he isn't sure what to call just because he doesn't want them injured. As Pharaoh, he did everything to protect his citizens. As a friend, he went through hell and back to make sure his friends stayed safe. And of course, this in turn meant they were loyal to him. But back in ancient times, it could have literally meant if you weren't loyal to the pharaoh you might have been executed on the spot, soooo....depending on who was ruling of course.
Last but not least, is the bridge trap. The riddle literally tells you how to solve this one. If you walk with fear in your heart, the monsters will eat you. So the answer is to walk with courage.
So this reflects Atem's courage. We see how daring and courageous Atem is upon first meeting him. And he continues to show it until he he goes through his own problems and he wavers in his decisions due to fear of learning more about himself. But he still pushed through and took it in stride. As Pharaoh, he made decisions firmly and quickly and didn't heaitate. This not only earned him praise, it meant he wasn't afraid to do what was needed to keep his people safe. So this spurred his court and people to be courageous as well.
All in all, they essentially made the tomb much like how the Pharaoh is--and only people deserving of his treasure would have to make it through. The traps weren't meant to be hard, it was more meant to be about just a matter of doing it and doing it fairly. And that's how Atem is a person.
Do it right with honor or don't do it all. You might die trying if you cheat.
