The Lion and the Jewel | The Lion and the Jewel

At a glance:

Author: Wole Soyinka
First Published: 1963
Type of Plot: Comedy
Time of Work: The 1950’s
Setting: Ilujinle, a village in western Nigeria
Principal Characters: Sidi, Lakunle, Baroka, Sadiku, The Favorite, A Wrestler, A Surveyor
Genres: Drama, Postcolonial literature, Women’s literature, Comedy
Subjects: 1950’s, Africa or Africans, Tradition, Power, personal or social, Love or romance, Sex or sexuality, Polygamy or bigamy, Progress, Nigeria or Nigerians
Locales: Nigeria

The Lion and the Jewel takes place in Ilujinle, a small African village facing rapid change. As the play begins, it is morning, and the audience sees a marketplace, dominated by an immense odan tree. To the left of the stage is part of the village school, within which the students chant the “Arithmetic Times.” Sidi enters the stage; she is a beautiful, slim girl with plaited hair—the true village belle. Balancing a pail on her head and wearing a broad cloth, Sidi attracts the attention of Lakunle, the young schoolteacher, who looks out the school windows...

The Lion and the Jewel | The Lion and the Jewel

At a glance:

The Play

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