What are the various character conflicts in The Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka?
The primary conflict in the story exists between Baroka and Lakunle, two men
who are competing for the love of Sidi. Both men are deceptive and in many ways
not what they seem. Lakunle comes across as a modern liberal, a man very
preoccupied with progress and what is new. In reality, he only has concern with
marrying a young woman in the village.
He proves no match for Baroka, who is more cunning and devious than his outward
demeanor suggests. By pretending to be impotent, he easily manipulates those
around him and eventually seduces Sidi, winning the central conflict of the
play.
This conflict is representative of a conflict on a national scale. It functions
as an allegory for the Nigerian people who are caught between modernism and tradition. Baroka, the "lion" of the play, is a symbol of this tradition. While he feigns impotence, Sidi, who represents the...
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heart of the Nigerian people, soon comes to know his power.
What tragedies do characters experience in Wole Soyinka's The Lion and the Jewel?
The Lion and the Jewel has serious themes but the play is a comedy. None of the characters experiences tragedy. The only character who approaches anything so dire is probably Lakunie.
The loss of culture is a serious threat under the onslaught of modernity. While the women ostensibly would have more to gain in a modern marriage, Sidi is in favor of bride price. Lakunie's education has led him to blindly reject everything traditional, including respect for his elders, and to adopt an arrogant, know-it-all attitude. His loss includes the negotiating skills so crucial to success in any bargaining arrangement. He blunders on without considering either the strengths of his opponent or the real desires of his would be bride. Although he has good intentions about improving his people's lives, his Western style education has left him woefully unprepared to help them. Because he did not truly love the woman he lost, and he is left looking foolish, Lakunie's situation is pathetic rather than tragic.
Two characters experience tragedy throughout the play The Lion and the Jewel. Lakunle is obsessed with Sidi and attempts to marry her but does not want to pay the traditional bride-price. Sidi rejects Lakunle's advances throughout the play and views him as a "madman" because of his Western values. At the end of the play, Lakunle finds out that Sidi has lost her virginity to the Bale, but is initially happy because he no longer is required to pay the bride-price. However, Sidi decides to marry Baroka, which greatly upsets Lakunle. Lakunle experiences tragedy because he is not able to marry the woman of his dreams.Sidi is another character who experiences tragedy. In the last scene of the play, Sidi reveals to Sadiku and Lakunle that she has been tricked into sleeping with the Bale. Sidi did not wish to lose her virginity to the Bale but was wooed when Baroka showed her a machine that made stamps. Despite losing her virginity to the aging Bale, Sidi decides to marry Baroka instead of Lakunle.