Death and the King’s Horseman (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Wole Soyinka
- First Published: 1975
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Tragedy
- Time of Work: The 1940’s
- Setting: Oyo, Nigeria
- Genres: Drama, Tragedy
- Subjects: Africa or Africans, Colonies or colonization, Sex or sexuality, 1940’s, Religion, Duty, Death or dying, Rites or ceremonies
- Locales: Oyo, Nigeria
Characters Discussed
Elesin Oba (ay-LAY-sihn OH-bah), the chief horseman of the recently deceased king of a Nigerian village. Full of vitality, Elesin enjoys women, singing, and dancing. Despite his great thirst for life, he is a man of honor and wisdom. He must, therefore, adhere to native laws and customs that mandate that he kill himself prior to the king’s burial so as to accompany his master to heaven. Although he has an abundance of wives and is in his final hours on Earth, his eyes wander to a young woman who has been promised to another man; as a result of his...
[The entire page is 1282 words long]
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