The central events of... Do thhe Nuns of St Marks want the Yoruba priests to convert to Christianity in the play? This shows two things about Olunde. He spearheads the effort to arrest Elesin, for which the marketplace women and girls mercilessly taunt him. Chosen by Elesin for her beauty, the Bride couples with Elesin before he is supposed to depart, and, it is assumed, conceives his child. The story of Death and the King's Horseman is based on real events that took place in Nigeria in 1946, when the English district commissioner attempted to stop the king's horseman from committing ritual suicide. The visiting dignitary whose presence sends Pilkings into a tizzy. Elesin and Pilkings have had a conflict before the time this play takes place. He commits suicide at the end after hearing that his son has taken the ritual death on himself to avert greater shame and the fulfillment of the ritual. Essays for Death and the King’s Horseman. Essays for Death and the King’s Horseman. Olunde also provides great symbolism and points out a paradoxical situation that show that he is very wise and once again reconfirms the point that Olunde is very respectful towards that which deserves respect, even though he may not understand it. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the play Death and the King's Horseman by Wole Soyinka. He sings for Elesin as the chief makes his passage to the other side. Elesin assures him that he's happy to die, but now, he wants the women to dress him in fine clothes and enjoy life. Also, as we learned in scene two from Mr. Pilking’s discussion with his wife, Olunde had to flee to England after his father had disowned him.

She is more nuanced than stereotypical, but possesses the unfortunate prejudices of her country.

One is that he identifies the captain’s main duty as keeping everyone safe, no matter the cost. First, the fact that Olunde returned home to respect his culture and especially his father. For, if he were as committed as his son, he would have taken any opportunity to kill himself to save his people. Another reason Elesin does not appear to be committed to his duty is that he allows himself to be captured and does not kill himself still. Soyinka wrote the play in Cambridge, where he was a fellow at Churchill College durin Olunde and Jane get into a heated discussion about each other’s cultures, and Olunde says that white cultures are very paradoxical, as well as implying they are hypocritical and nonsensical. […], Modernism was a period within literature that saw authors experimenting with different storytelling techniques and showcased the lives of the new generation who were living in an ever advancing technological […], The American political climate of the 1980’s is wrought with capitalistic fervor, the end game being victory over the constant battle for self-improvement. By Wole Soyinka. In Yoruba cosmology, there are three worlds: the world of the living, the world of the dead, and the world of the unborn. They ask if anything will hold him back, and he replies nothing. He then says “I am not shocked… I discovered that you people have no respect for what you do not understand” (Soyinka 41).

Elesin's son. This symbolizes the situation of Olunde’s father, Elesin. Special offer for LiteratureEssaySamples.com readers. Soyinka, Wole. Edited by Simon Gikandi, Norton, 2003. He eventually ends the conflicting statements with these words: “Life has an end. Elesin does respect the matter of the ritual, but he seems to be indulging himself at a more than honorable level. He insists on marrying a young girl who is already betrothed right before dying.

is predominant throughout this novel. It is not yet explicitly stated exactly why he came, but the readers can assume it was to observe the ritual and pay his respects to his father. Elisen as an Aristotilian Tragic Hero; Conflicting Duties: The Choices of Elesin and Pikings These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the play Death and the King's Horseman by Wole Soyinka. He's eager to reach the market and assures his praise-singer that he just wants to be in the market among the women, where he's happy. As seen in the Death and the King’s Horseman, by Wole Soyinka, the Yoruba culture and tradition have very strong, unusual customs and values. When the play opens, the Yoruba king has just died, and Elesin Oba (the king's horseman), according to tradition, must follow his king to the great beyond. In reality, Elesin switches his mindset because it is an easier way out. This, and the fact that Olunde is offended and appalled at Mrs. Pilking’s egungun mask shows the reader that while Olunde may have fled to England, he did not lose his veneration or respect for the Yoruba culture. Pilkings's superior, who demands that Pilkings control the situation with Elesin. Thus, even though Olunde fled his home and culture to go to England, he still has more loyalty and respect to his culture than his father does, as Olunde is present for and respectful to the rituals, while his father is careless and basks in the glory that the ritual brings him. Death and the King's Horseman Analysis. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

The English presence in Nigeria is by now well established, but is still rife with instability and conflict. Although Western-educated, he does not adhere to the values of the English and sacrifices himself when his father fails. He then engages in conversation with Jane Pilkings, and he comments on the tribal masks she wears as a costume, and how it is being desecrated. Through this break he was able to gain insight, allowing him to understand the situation with the boat captain, and thus the situation with his father. They said that he wasn’t sure the legitimacy of the risk but there was no other way, so he had to make a self-sacrifice. The “Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee,” revolved around a very prominent district magistrate named Judge Dee Goong An, a man famous for his ability to solve mysterious cases. In fact, if anything, being in the civilized white culture of England seems to have strengthened Olunde’s respectful views of veneration towards his tradition and all cultures for that matter. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. The Pilkings' houseboy, who becomes sullen when Pilkings says something negative about Christianity. Just as the captain had to sacrifice himself so a potentially dangerous boat would not harm any citizens, Elesin must die with his king so that the evil spirits to not bring chaos to the Yoruba people. Elesin is a loud, vivacious, and lusty man who enjoys the pleasures of the living, and, for all his talk of shame, seems somewhat hesitant to die. Elisen as an Aristotilian Tragic Hero; Conflicting Duties: The Choices of Elesin and Pikings Death and the King's Horseman essays are academic essays for citation. Death and the Kings Horseman: Background and Sources, Criticism. This is the ultimate standard for loyalty to the Yoruba culture, a standard that Elesin never came close to. Elinor loves Edward and wants to be with him, but after hearing about Lucy’s engagement to him, she […], John Irving’s esteemed 1989 novel, “A Prayer for Owen Meany” is a lot of things – but it is not subtle. Tone Genre What's Up With the Title? This victory can manifest itself in myriad […], Gender and economics were no less intertwined during the eighteenth century than they are today.

So, this adds to the list of reasons why Olunde would be against returning to his home, however, he does so anyways. This play is centered around one particular custom: when a king dies, his servants and horsemen must die also so that the king is not alone going into the afterlife and so that he is peaceful.

Olunde is certainly dedicated to the Yoruba tradition, as he traveled all the way from England just for this ceremony following the king’s passing.

The move is important because it keeps the universe spinning. When we are first introduced to Olunde, it is when he shows up to talk with Pilkings, the District Officer, towards the beginning of scene four on page forty-one. It is an affirmative commentary on life” (Soyinka 42). Olunde then says, “I find it rather inspiring. Thus, since he obeyed his duty and followed through all the way to his own death, Olunde feels that the man has done his assigned duty and greatly appreciates and respects this captain. What's Up With the Ending? In the beginning of the first scene, Elesin engages in conversation with some women who seem to be questioning his willpower. Near the end of the day, Elesin, the king 's horseman, dances through the market. He is officious, but does not seem to like the Africans and is quick to find Olunde hostile. Pilkings and Elesin clashed when Pilkings helped the Elesin’s son get into medical school in England. Thus, from Olunde’s return and conversation with Jane Pilkings, we see that Olunde is extremely loyal to his culture and to his father, and also that he is very respectful towards cultural traditions and would never be disgraceful to any of these things. Death and the King's Horseman essays are academic essays for citation. The play shows many instances where Olunde cares significantly about the Yoruba rituals, and many instances where Elesin does not take them seriously, but instead lets the power blur his vision of the ultimate goal, each showing why Olunde is more faithful to Yoruba culture than his father. A life that will outlive” (Soyinka 11). A perfect example of this behavior is when Elesin encounters the woman soon to be married to Iyaloja’s son and decides he must have her.

Jane is shocked to hear his opinion, but Olunde shows his utmost respect to the captain who sacrificed himself. He is saying and implying that war is not a time for such merry activities, but Jane responds by saying it is “therapy, British style.

A chief and the King's horseman who is supposed to die thirty days after the King does, Elesin prepares himself to die but is thwarted from that goal by Pilkings. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible.