Death and the King’s Horseman (Masterplots II: Drama)
At a glance:
- Author: Wole Soyinka
- First Published: 1975
- Type of Work: Tragedy
- Time of Work: 1943
- Setting: Oyo, an ancient Yoruba city in Nigeria
- Principal Characters: Elesin, Praise-Singer, Iyaloja, Simon Pilkings, Jane Pilkings, Olunde
- 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
The Play
Death and the King’s Horseman, a tragedy in five acts, is about Elesin, the King’s horseman, who is obligated to undergo a ritual suicide in order to accompany his dead king to the realm of the ancestors. The first act opens with Elesin moving through the marketplace with considerable vitality, singing and dancing, on his way to perform a duty crucial to the continued life and stability of his community. The main concern of the Praise-Singer is Elesin’s courage, but Elesin reassures him by telling the story of the “Not-I bird.” While others who see...
[The entire page is 4079 words long]
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