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Death and the King's Horseman Study Guide

Prologue and Background

The play Death and the King's Horseman was written by Nobel laureate Wole
Soyinka and published in 1975.
Soyinka cautions against reducing the play to a simple "clash of cultures."
It's a five-act tragedy set in Nigeria during World War II.
The play is based on real events from 1946 in Oyo, a Yoruba city in Nigeria.
Elesin, the chief Horseman, is supposed to commit ritual suicide to accompany
the deceased king to the afterlife.
The English District Commissioner, Pilkings, interferes and stops him.

Act 1: Elesin's Joyful Dance

Elesin joyfully dances through the market as the sun sets.
He wants the women to adorn him and savor life's pleasures before embracing
death.
The praise-singer laments the impact of the white slavers.
Elesin tells the tale of a peculiar bird that announces when it's time to depart
the world.
He welcomes the bird's call without hesitation, proclaiming "my reign as
loosened, I am master of my fate."
The market women, led by Iyaloja (the mother of the market), join him in dance.
Elesin assures them of his readiness to embrace his destiny.
He gets upset when the women praise him as an honorable man.
He is distracted by a beautiful young woman in the market.
Iyaloja explains that the woman is betrothed to her son.
Elesin insists on marrying her as his last wish.
Iyaloja agrees, preparing both his bridal chamber and burial shrouds.
Elesin says his bride should perform the burial rights.

Act 2: The District Officer's Dilemma

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The act opens at the District Officer's house.

Simon Pilkings and his wife Jane are dancing in egungun costumes.

Egungun are ancestral ceremonial costumes worn by Yoruba men to

honor the dead.

Native Sergeant Amusa arrives with news, upset by the egungun attire.

Amusa refuses to look at Pilkings or share information because he is wearing

the uniform of death.

Pilkings commands Amusa to write down his report.

Amusa's report says Elesin Oba intends to commit death, which Amusa
considers a crime.

Pilkings and Jane fear Elesin plans to kill someone.

They call Joseph, their converted Christian houseboy.

Joseph clarifies that Elesin intends to sacrifice himself to accompany the

deceased King.

Pilkings sent Elesin's son, Ollundeh, to England for medical training four years
ago, despite Elesin's resistance.

Pilkings insults the locals.

Jane realizes Ollundeh would be the next King's Horseman.

Pilkings becomes infuriated after Joseph explains the sounds of both a wedding
and a death.

Jane insists they stay home to handle the situation, but Pilkings sends Joseph to
the police station with a note.

Pilkings tells Jane to get ready for the ball, as the prince will attend.

Act 3: Market Resistance

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Amusa and his officers face resistance from market women as they try to reach
Elesin.
The women taunt Amusa for serving the English, insult his manhood, and
accuse him of trespassing.
They refuse to let him get closer to Elesin, who they believe will demonstrate
his strength to the white man by taking his own life.
Iyaloja joins the women in ridiculing Amusa.
Young girls steal the officers' batons and hat, mocking the Englishman's
accents.
Amusa and his team give up and leave.
The women dance as Elesin emerges from the stall, holding a white folded
velvet cloth.
He has consummated his marriage to a new wife.
Elesin speaks of the future resting on the child she will bear.
The cloth represents the union of life and seeds of passage.
Elesin listens to the rhythmic drums in a daze.
He narrates events and moves towards his impending fate.
The women dance alongside him as he mentions the impending deaths of the
king's dog and horse.
Elesin says, "I have freed myself of Earth and now it's getting dark. Strange
voices guide my feet."
The praise-singer reminds Elesin of his duty and asks if he sees the dark room
and master of life.
Elesin sinks deeper into his trance.

Act 4: The Ball and its Disruptions

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The band music announces the prince's arrival at the ball.

The prince is intrigued by the egungun costumes.
The Resident takes Pilkings aside to discuss a note from Amusa, informing
about Elesin's suicide.
The Resident reminds Pilkings to stay watchful to upkeep the Empire.
The Resident questions if Amusa was part of the riot, but Amusa remains silent
in the presence of egungun attire.
Pilkings discharges him at midnight and leaves with the other policemen,
leaving Jane anxious about Elesin's fate.
Ollundeh (who goes by "Holland" in England), has returned from England and
finds Jane.
Holland declares that Jane doesn't grasp her costume's significance as an
English woman, saying, "I discovered you have no respect for the things you do
not understand."
They talk about World War II and the ethics of self-sacrifice, which Holland
declares to be an affirmative commentary on life.
Jane refuses to reveal Pilkings' whereabouts.
Holland explains his mission to ensure Elesin's honorable death.
Jane becomes distressed as Holland compares war casualties to mass suicide.
They listen to Elesin's final moments by noting the drums beating.
Jane sends the Resident's aide-de-camp away when he notices her.
Holland explains that it is their duty and has begun mourning his father since
hearing of the King's death.
He excuses himself to be with his father's body.
They hear Pilkings talk off stage about restraining people.
Pilkings comes on stage to call for the aide-de-camp and refuses to let Holland
go, thinking Holland will dissuade the locals from the ritual suicide.
He marches away to discuss with the aide-de-camp to put Elesin in the old
Cellar where slaves were once placed.
Holland and Jane hear an enraged Elesin shouting.
Elesin is brought into view and collapses at Holland's feet.
Holland insults Elesin, saying, "I have no father, eater of leftovers."

Act 5: Imprisonment and Dishonor

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The act begins in a small cell, where Elesin is chained at the wrists.
Two guards are inside with him, while his bride sits quietly outside.
Pilkings chats about how peaceful the night is, but Elesin disagrees, blaming
Pilkings for ruining his life.
Pilkings insists on doing his duty.
Elesin clarifies he was meant to die before, at a certain hour.
He doesn't blame Pilkings entirely but believes he was prevented from fulfilling
his purpose and having his son stolen from him.
Pilkings offers some comfort, but Elesin feels he has lost his honor and fatherly
title.
After Pilkings leaves, Elesin partly blames the abomination of the white man,
his new bride (for making him desire life's pleasures), and the gods.
He sees her as the final gift of the living to their Emissary to the land of the
ancestors.
Pilkings and Jane return, debating whether to allow visits from Holland and
Iyaloja.
Elesin guarantees Pilkings that nothing worse will happen if Iyaloja visits.
Iyaloja admonishes Elesin for dishonoring himself.

Thematic Elements in Death and the King's

Horseman

Colonialism
The play is set during British colonial rule in Nigeria.
Highlights the collision between British colonial forces and Yoruba traditions.
Illustrates the destructive influence of colonial powers on indigenous cultures.
Pilking's interference disrupts Yoruba rituals, leading to the tragic deaths of
Elesin and Olunde.
Elesin is chained in a cellar previously used to hold slaves, symbolizing the
dehumanization and objectification of African people.
Pilking's attempts to restrain Elesin and send Olunde abroad without his
father's consent exemplify colonial control over African bodies.
The colonial forces mock the native belief system, disrespecting local culture by
wearing sacred egungun costumes at a fancy dress ball and imprisoning Elesin.

Life and Death

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The interplay between life and death is a crucial theme, symbolized by the
Yoruba ritual of transition from the Earthly realm to the afterlife.
The play delves into the cultural significance of death as a natural part of life.
It explores the consequences of disrupting the balance between life and death.
Death and the King's Horseman revolves around the ritualized transition of the
king from life to death, emphasizing the strong cultural importance of this
event.
Elesin had about a month to prepare for his death, but his actions indicate a
desire for worldly pleasures and an attraction towards life.
Natives perceive death as a transition, while Europeans view life as more
sacred.
Pilking's attempts to stop the ritual suicide contrast with Jane's disagreement
with Hollands' view on the ship captain needing to sacrifice himself to save
others.

Responsibility and Duty

Elesin's role as the King's Horseman carries the responsibility of accompanying
the deceased King to the afterlife.
Elesin's sense of honorable duty compels him to carry out the ritual suicide,
believing it is his sacred responsibility.
His failure to fulfill this duty results in tragic consequences, including his own
and Olunde's deaths.
Olunde dies in his father's stead, attempting to maintain cosmic order.
Pilking's actions can be interpreted as fulfilling his duty to uphold British laws
in the colonized nation.

Individual Will vs. Societal Expectations

Elesin is caught in a conflict between his personal desires and his duty to
perform the ritual suicide required by Yoruba tradition.
This struggle represents the tension between his individual will and the
expectations of the Yoruba community.

Female Power

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Female power is explored through the character of Iyaloja, the market woman
leader who holds significant influence in Yoruba society.
Despite the patriarchal structure, women exert considerable authority.
Iyaloja's ability to rally the women of the market, confront Elesin and Pilkings,
and influence events demonstrates the powerful role women can play in
society.
The women of the market resist Amusa and the local police, displaying their
strength and agency.
However, the muteness and silent compliance of the nameless bride contrast
with this loud female agency.
Jane Pilkings openly questions her husband's choices but is repeatedly
disregarded, highlighting misogyny.

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