the audience that people often have other intentions, and we should attempt to be more diligent in exploring the thoughts and ideas of others. For instance, Lakunle claims that he doesn't want to pay the bride-price because it is a savage custom, but in reality, he is simply trying to avoid paying altogether. The Bale knows that Sadiku will spread the false rumor of his impotence, which is actually what he wants. His intentions are to woo Sidi unsuspectingly when given the opportunity.

The Lion and the Jewel is an interesting play for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons is how well a play written in 1959 explores media images and their influences on a person's own ego. Images have always been important parts of media; however, society seems to have experienced an increase in infatuation with pictures of people in recent years, especially with social media. The word "selfie" didn't even exist until 2002, and it isn't difficult to Google search for and find articles about selfie-obsessed people. A belief exists that pictures of the self somehow carry and/or convey power and importance, and Soyinka explores this notion in The Lion and the Jewel.

Sidi is presented to audiences as a fairly level-headed, "normal" woman. She is attractive, and men find her desirable; however, she doesn't grow an overinflated sense of self until the arrival of the magazine that is filled with pictures of her. Sidi believes that the pictures somehow increase her level of beauty, importance, and power within her society. She even suggests that she is more powerful than Baroka.

Interestingly, her beliefs could be considered true. She is able to organize and order around a group of villagers to do the dance of the lost traveler. It seems that the other villagers have bought into the notion that images of a person convey power to that person, and that still rings true today. Social media has created some very powerful "influencers" from people that essentially post frequent pictures and updates of themselves.

The lesson that Soyinka eventually conveys through the play is that Sidi's power is a false power. In the end, she is unable to humiliate Baroka in the way that she planned. Not only that, but Baroka was able to so effectively use false information and powers of manipulation that he was able to steal Sidi's virginity and essentially force their marriage. Sidi's pictures gave her a false sense of power and an overinflated sense of self; and the pictures were merely pictures.

Soyinka suggests that maintaining traditional customs is essential in light of colonial development. Baroka, a symbol of traditional Yoruba culture, successfully wins the heart of the village belle, Sidi. His triumph over Lakunle, a symbol of modernity and progress, represents the importance and success of maintaining traditional customs and ways of life in a progressing world. Soyinka also portrays the role of females in traditional African culture. Women are marginalized and viewed as property in the village of Ilujinle, and when they seek to break free of their social restraints, they are unsuccessful. Soyinka also relays the message that the wisdom of the elderly is superior to the knowledge of youth. Baroka uses his wisdom to conduct a plan that works to perfection while Lakunle chooses to criticize traditional culture and loses Sidi. Lakunle's Western ideas are viewed as abnormal and dismissed by the majority of villagers. However, Baroka understands the importance of blending traditional culture with modern ideas. Soyinka is suggesting that progress is not such a negative thing if traditional culture can be incorporated into it. Soyinka also relays several moral messages throughout the play. He suggests that vanity and pride are destructive, and that gossip is misleading. Soyinka also portrays how many individuals are insincere and have ulterior motives.