Death And The King's Horseman
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''Death and the King's Horseman'' is a play by
Wole Soyinka Wole Soyinka , (born 13 July 1934) is a Nigerian author, best known as a playwright and poet. He has written three novels, ten collections of short stories, seven poetry collections, twenty five plays and five memoirs. He also wrote two transla ...
based on a real incident that took place in
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
during the
colonial era Colonial period (a period in a country's history where it was subject to management by a colonial power) may refer to: Continents *European colonization of the Americas * Colonisation of Africa * Western imperialism in Asia Countries * Col ...
: the horseman of a Yoruba King was prevented from committing
ritual suicide A suicide method is any means by which a person may choose to end their life. Suicide attempts do not always result in death, and a non-fatal suicide attempt can leave the person with serious physical injuries, long-term health problems, or ...
by the colonial authorities. In addition to the intervention of the colonial authorities, Soyinka calls the horseman's own conviction toward suicide into question, posing a problem that throws off the community's balance. Soyinka wrote the play in
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
, where he was a fellow at
Churchill College Churchill College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. It has a primary focus on science, engineering and technology, but retains a strong interest in the arts ...
during his political exile from Nigeria. He has also written a preface to the play, explaining what he sees as the greatest misconceptions in understanding it. In particular, he says that the play should not be considered as "clash of cultures." Rather, the play demonstrates the need for interaction between African and European cultures, as per Soyinka's post-
Biafra Biafara Anglicisation (linguistics), anglicized as Biafra ( ), officially the Republic of Biafra, was a List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, partially recognised state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria ...
n cultural philosophy.


Plot

''Death and the King's Horseman'' builds upon the true story on which Soyinka based the play, to focus on the character of Elesin, the King's Horseman of the title. According to some Yoruba traditions, the death of the king must be followed by the
ritual suicide A suicide method is any means by which a person may choose to end their life. Suicide attempts do not always result in death, and a non-fatal suicide attempt can leave the person with serious physical injuries, long-term health problems, or ...
of the king's horseman as well as the king's dog and horse, because the horseman's spirit is essential to helping the King's spirit ascend to the afterlife. Otherwise, the king's spirit will wander the earth and bring harm to his people. The first half of the play documents the process of this ritual, with the potent, life-loving figure Elesin living out his final day in celebration before the ritual process begins. At the last minute, the local colonial administrator, Simon Pilkings, intervenes, the suicide being viewed as illegal and unnecessary by the colonial authorities. In the play, the result for the community is catastrophic, as the breaking of the ritual means the disruption of the cosmic order of the universe and thus the well-being and future of the collectivity is in doubt. The community blames Elesin as much as Pilkings, accusing him of being too attached to the earth to fulfil his spiritual obligations. Events lead to tragedy when Elesin's son, Olunde, who has returned to
Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...
from studying medicine in Europe, takes on the responsibility of his father and commits ritual suicide in his place so as to restore the honour of his family and the order of the universe. Consequently, Elesin kills himself, condemning his soul to a degraded existence in the next world. In addition, the dialogue of the native suggests that this may have been insufficient and that the world is now "adrift in the void". Another Nigerian playwright,
Duro Ladipo Durodola Durosomo Duroorike Timothy Adisa Ladipo (18 December 1926 – 11 March 1978), more commonly known as Duro Ladipo, was one of the best known and critically acclaimed Yoruba people, Yoruba dramatists who emerged from postcolonial Africa. ...
, had already written a play in the
Yoruba language Yoruba (, ; Yor. ) is a Niger–Congo languages, Niger-Congo language that is spoken in West Africa, primarily in South West (Nigeria), Southwestern and Middle Belt, Central Nigeria, Benin, and parts of Togo. It is spoken by the Yoruba people. ...
based on this incident, called ''Oba waja'' ("The King is Dead").


Themes and motifs

*
Duty A duty (from "due" meaning "that which is owing"; , past participle of ; , whence "debt") is a commitment or expectation to perform some action in general or if certain circumstances arise. A duty may arise from a system of ethics or morality, e ...
*
Anti-colonialism Decolonization is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. The meanings and applications of the term are disputed. Some scholars of decolon ...
is considered a theme by some scholars based on aspects of the text, but Soyinka specifically calls the intervention by the colonial administrator "an incident, a catalytic incident merely" in the "Author's Note" prepended to the play.


Yoruba proverbs

Almost every character in ''Death and the King's Horseman'' at some point uses a traditional Yoruba proverb. Through his vast knowledge of Yoruba proverbs, Soyinka is able to endow his play with a strong Yoruba sentiment. Characters often employ Yoruba proverbs primarily as a means of bolstering their opinions and persuading others to take their point of view.Richards, David. ''Death and the King's Horseman and the Masks of Language.'' Excerpt from: Soyinka, Wole. ''Death and the King's Horseman: A Norton Critical Edition''. New York: Norton & Company, 2003, pp. 196–207. The Praise-singer gets annoyed with ''Elesin'' for his decision to take a new wife and tries to dissuade him: ::Because the man approaches a brand-new bride he forgets the long faithful mother of his children. ::''Ariyawo-ko-iyale'' Similarly, ''Iyaloja'' tries to admonish ''Elesin'' against his earthly attachments and stay true to the ritual upon which the good of his society depended: ::Eating the awusa nut is not so difficult as drinking water afterwards. ::''Ati je asala wusako to ati mu omi si i''. Another common way in which Soyinka uses proverbs is with ''Elesin''. ''Elesin'' himself uses several proverbs in order to convince his peers that he is going to comply with their ritual and thus join the ancestors in ''orun'': ::The kite makes for wide spaces and the wind creeps up behind its tail; can the kite say less than thank you, the quicker the better? ::''Awodi to'o nre Ibara, efufu ta a n'idi pa o ni Ise kuku ya''. ::The elephant trails no tethering-rope; that king is not yet crowned who will peg an elephant. ::''Ajanaku kuro ninn 'mo ri nkan firi, bi a ba ri erin ki a ni a ri erin'' ::The river is never so high that the eyes of a fish are covered. ::''Odu ki ikun bo eja l'oju'' The final way in which proverbs appear in the play is when ''Iyaloja'' and the Praise-singer harass ''Elesin'' while he is imprisoned for failing to complete his role within the ritual: ::What we have no intention of eating should not be held up to the nose. ::''Ohun ti a ki i je a ki ifif run imu'' ::We said you were the hunter returning home in triumph, a slain buffalo pressing down on his neck; you said wait, I first must turn up this cricket hole with my toes. ::''A ki i ru eran erin lori ki a maa f'ese wa ire n'ile'' ::The river which fills up before our eyes does not sweep us away in its flood. ::''Odo ti a t'oju eni kun ki igbe 'ni lo''


Performances

Written in five scenes, it is performed without interruption. Soyinka himself has directed important American productions, in Chicago in 1976 and at
Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5  ...
in New York in 1987, but according to Andrew Gumbel, the play "has been much more widely admired than performed". The British premiere was directed by
Phyllida Lloyd Phyllida Christian Lloyd, (born 17 June 1957) is an English film and theatre director and producer. Her theatre work includes directing productions at the Royal Court Theatre and Royal National Theatre, and opera director for Opera North and ...
at the
Royal Exchange Theatre The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal Exc ...
in
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
in 1990. It starred George Harris and Claire Benedict. The play was performed at London's
Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...
beginning in April 2009, directed by
Rufus Norris Sir Rufus John Norris (born 16 January 1965) is a British theatre and film director, who was the artistic director and chief executive of the National Theatre from 2015 to 2025. He received the Society of London Theatre Special Award in 2025 f ...
, with choreography by Javier de Frutos and starring
Lucian Msamati Lucian Gabriel Wiina Msamati (born 5 March 1976) is an English Tanzanian actor, writer, director and producer known for his work in theatre, film, television and radio. His notable screen roles include Salladhor Saan in the HBO series '' Game ...
. The play was also staged by the St. Louis Black Repertory Theater February 2008, directed by Olusegun Ojewuyi, who has been dramaturge for the Oregon Shakespeare's production. It was performed at the
Oregon Shakespeare Festival The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional Repertory, repertory theatre in Ashland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1935 by Angus L. Bowmer. The Festival now offers matinee and evening performances of a wide range of classic and conte ...
from February 14 to July 5, 2009, as well. A Yoruba translation Iku Olokun Esin was also performed at the National Theater, Lagos, Nigeria, directed by Olusegun Ojewuyi (thus making him the first and only director to have staged the play in both English and in Yoruba – the language and culture of the play). In 2021, it was performed on stage at Terra Kulture, directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters in collaboration with MTN Foundation. It starred Olarotimi Michael Fakunle as Elesin Oba and Mawuyon Ogun as Iyaloja. In 2021, th
Crane Creations Theatre Company
had led
Play Date
event of ''Death and the King's Horseman.'' This monthly play reading is held by a group of professional theatre artists for the purpose of spreading and increasing appreciation of playwrights from around the world. It was included in the 2022 program of Canada's
Stratford Festival The Stratford Festival is a repertory theatre organization that operates from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shak ...
, and directed by Tawiah M'Carthy. In 2025, Utopia Theatre and
Sheffield Theatres Sheffield Theatres is a theatre complex in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It comprises four theatres: the Crucible, the Lyceum, the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, and (as of January 2025) the Montgomery Theatre. These theatres make up ...
staged a production from 3-8 February at The
Crucible Theatre The Crucible Theatre, or simply The Crucible, is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which opened in 1971. Its name refers to crucible steel, which was developed in Sheffield in 1740 and drove the industrialisation of the city. ...
,
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
, directed by Mojisola Kareem, and featuring
Wale Ojo Wale Ojo () is a British Nigerian actor. He started as a child actor in television. He subsequently continued acting roles in the UK and Nigeria. He came into prominence in 1995 for his role in '' The Hard Case''. He won the award for Best Act ...
as Elesin and
Kehinde Bankole Kehinde Bankole (born 27 March 1985) is a Nigerian actress, model, and television host. She made her entertainment debut in Miss Commonwealth Nigeria 2003, then proceeded with MBGN 2004. She was named Revelation of the Year at the 2009 Best o ...
as Iyaloja.


Translations

Russian: by Andrey Kistyakovsky, 1987 Yorùbá: by Akinwunmi Ishola, 1994 Yorùbá (for a screen adaptation) by
Kola Tubosun Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún (; born 22 September 1981) is a Nigerian linguist, writer, translator, scholar, cultural activist and film-maker.
, 2022


Adaptation

A film adaptation directed by playwright Biyi Bandele (with screenplay translated into Yorùbá by Nigerian linguist
Kola Tubosun Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún (; born 22 September 1981) is a Nigerian linguist, writer, translator, scholar, cultural activist and film-maker.
) and co-produced by
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
and
Ebonylife TV Ebonylife TV is an entertainment TV channel owned by Mosunmola Abudu popularly called Mo Abudu, It was launched on DSTV in July 2013 after which the station was later added to DSTV in September 2014. After partnering and satisfying the executiv ...
titled '' Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman'' had its world premier at the
Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
in September 2022. The film stars Odunlade Adekola,
Shaffy Bello Shaffy Bello is a Nigerian film actress and singer. She first shot into the entertainment scene when she featured vocals in a 1997 hit song by Seyi Sodimu titled " Love Me Jeje". Career Shaffy grew up in the United States where she completed h ...
,
Brymo Ọlawale Ọlọfọrọ (born Olawale Ibrahim Ashimi; 9 May 1986), better known as Brymo, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, sound artist, sonic artist, actor and author who was born and raised in Okokomaiko. Brymo started recording music in ...
, Deyemi Okanlawon, Omowunmi Dada,
Jide Kosoko Jide Kosoko (born 12 January 1954) is a veteran Nigerian actor, director and producer. He was born into a royal family, hence his traditional title of prince or "omoba" in the Yoruba language. Early life Jide Kosoko was born in Lagos State, ...
, Kevin Ushi, Jenny Stead, Mark Elderkin, Langley Kirkwood, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett, and
Joke Silva Joke Silva () MFR is a veteran Nigerian actress, director, and businesswoman. In 1998, she had a major role, starring opposite Colin Firth and Nia Long in the British-Canadian film ''The Secret Laughter of Women''. In 2006, she won "Best Actre ...
.


See also

*
Yoruba religion The Yorùbá religion (Yoruba language, Yoruba: Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), West African Orisa (Òrìṣà), or Isese (Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practice of the Yoruba people. Its homeland is in pres ...
* Yoruba literature *
Postcolonial literature Postcolonial literature is the literature by people from formerly colonized countries, originating from all continents except Antarctica. Postcolonial literature often addresses the problems and consequences of the colonization and subsequent deco ...
* List of Nigerian writers


References


Notes


Sources

* McLuckie, Craig
''The Structural Coherence of Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman''
''College Literature'', Spring 2004. {{DEFAULTSORT:Death And The King's Horseman 1975 plays Historiography of Nigeria Nigerian plays Plays based on actual events Plays by Wole Soyinka Plays set in Nigeria Works about suicide Yoruba culture