Death And King s Horseman By Wole Soyinka - 1174 Words

Death and King’s Horseman by Wole Soyinka and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe both take place in Africa but in different areas. Authors Soyinka and Achebe, created main characters that came from different tribes, but experienced similar cultural clashes, which led to an issue of suicide within African culture. The context of these books’ view on suicide differs in each culture. Although each work has a different attitude toward suicide, both deal with it through the characters, Elisen from the Yoruba tribe in Death and King’s Horseman and Okonkwo from the Igbo tribe in Things Fall Apart, within their own African cultures. Elisen and Okonkwo have a different way of living , yet they are both led to question their own character, family relations, and make life-changing decisions. Okonkwo, the lead character in Things Fall Apart, commits suicide after he has lost political independence to colonialism. This is occasioned by the fact that his clansmen do not follow him into battle against the colonialists. Throughout the story, Okonkwo desires to be seen as the symbol, the perfect example, the individual who represents the archetype of Umuofian culture and values. His strong individualism is questioned when the white colonialists arrive. Okonkwo’s epiphany at realizing that his community does not share in his desire to get rid of them only becomes clear in the face of looming colonial domination. He says: â€Å"Worthy men are no more†¦The greatest obstacles in Umuofia is thatShow MoreRelated Acting and Identity in Sizwe Banzi is Dead and in Death and the Kings Horseman1300 Words   |  6 PagesBoth Sizwe Bansi is Dead, (written by Athol Fugard in collaboration with John Kani and Winston Ntshona) and Death and the Kings Horseman (written by Wole Soy inka) are both set in South Africa, in two important and significant cultural moment for the country. Swize Bansi is Dead tells the difficult reality of Africa under apartheid (1950s), analysing the complex issue of identity in that time. The rules of Apartheid meant that people were legally classified into a racial group, mainly BlackRead MoreWomen s Death And The King s Horseman And M. Butterfly1393 Words   |  6 PagesWomen in Death and the King’s Horseman and M. Butterfly How are women represented and portrayed in theatrical plays? In most plays, men and women are frequently assigned stereotyped roles that make women assume passive and meek roles. Every so often, men are given the privileged to take on the role of a strong and powerful character, whereas the women took submissive roles typical of the weaker sex concept. In this essay, the role of women in the plays, Death and the Kings Horseman and M. ButterflyRead MoreExistential Anxiety Via Self Preservation Essay1826 Words   |  8 Pagesmost basic definition, an existential crisis occurs when a person feels out of touch with their place in the world. They question why they are here as well as what determines their leaving. In Leo Tolstoy’s Hadji Murat and Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman, two characters experience a similar reaction after failing to conform to societal expectations. For example, in Hadji Murat, the titular character’s shifting allegiance depends on whatever is in the best interest of his familyRead MoreAfrican Literature : Colonialism And Communal Disintegration947 Words   |  4 Pageswidely acclaimed stories of Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Death and the King s Horseman by Wole Soyinka. Death and the King s Horseman is a story and tragedy of a father, son, and of the community. It is a story that entails a great emphasis in the metaphysical, rituals, and festivals. Traditions are considered above all else in the community. It is the ritual in which the horseman has the obligation to follow the king to the afterlife(suicide) that was crucial for the sake of the communityRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Olunde1323 Words   |  6 PagesOlunde attempts to reveal to Jane the greatness of his father s sacrifice for his peace and the peace of his own people, his father is going to commit suicide to save his community from destruction. However, Jane cannot understand the implication of that sacrifice which she regards as a barbaric custom or even feudalistic. Olunde s long conversation with Jane reveals the arrogance, vulnerability, disintegration and hypocrisy of the English people. He expresses the terrible conditionsRead MoreThe Conflict Between Tradition And Wes tern Influence On Nigeria1665 Words   |  7 Pagesimperfections of the traditional Igbo society. Another person who can stand beside Chinua Achebe as an influential Nigerian author is Wole Soyinka (July 13, 1934-present), a Yoruban playwright and poet who was the first African to win the nobel prize in literature. He has many notable plays and novels, such as The Lion and the Jewel, published in 1963, and Death and a King s Horseman, his most famous work, published in 1975. His plays showcased myth and ritual, as well as ancestry and folklore. Soyinka’s politicalRead MoreA Dance of the Forest4738 Words   |  19 PagesThe Drama of Existence: Myths and Rituals in Wole Soyinka’s Theatre Rosa Figueiredo, Polytecnic of Guarda, Portugal Abstract: The citation for Soyinka’s 1986 Nobel prize for literature reads: â€Å"Who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones, fashions the drama of existence†. The â€Å"wide cultural perspective† mentioned refers to the fact that Soyinka’s writings, especially the dramas for which he is best known, are at once deeply rooted in traditional African expressive and performance