Death and the King's Horseman focuses on a ritual suicide, so it shouldn't come as a shock that death plays a big role. Soyinka himself has argued that spiritual struggles—including Elesin's attempts to carry out his duty by dying—are at the heart of the play, and judging from what characters like Olunde and Jane Pilkings have to say, death is a very different animal in British and Yoruban cultures.
For the British inhabitants of Oyo, death is to be feared and avoided, whereas for the Yoruba, it seems like death is less scary and more something to be embraced as right at certain times. And this difference in opinion? Well, it drives the whole plot.
Questions About Mortality
- The British and Yoruba attitudes regarding death are pretty different. What are some examples of this difference, and what effect do they have on the plot?
- Why do you think Elesin chickens out of going through with the ritual suicide? He provides a lot of possible reasons, but what do you think the real reason is?
- Ultimately, does the play portray death as something that is to be feared or something that is natural? Is it tragic? If so, when and why?
Chew on This
Soyinka uses the characters' diverse attitudes toward death as a barometer for their bravery and overall character; characters like Pilkings and ultimately Elesin who treat death as something to be feared are portrayed negatively, whereas people like Olunde who embrace death are heroic.
Readiness to confront death is not always portrayed as a positive or heroic thing. For example, when Olunde has to sacrifice himself to right his father's wrong, it is portrayed as more tragic than heroic.