Death and the King's Horseman

I thought this play by Wole Soyinka was a bit confusing to read and it reminded of Shakespeare's writing in some ways. For example, both this play and some of Shakespeare's end in death. Most of Shakespeare's works were tragedies like Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. Also, the language was difficult to understand because of the time period and place it was written in, the same with Shakespeare's writings. The play's setting explores African culture and society, so therefore the diction and style that Soyinka writes in is something that I have never seem before.


However, within some of the confusion I found this play rather interesting because the plot is based off a true story about sacrificed ritual in certain cultures. In the play, the king of the nation died, therefore his horseman must do the same so the king can make his way to his afterlife. However, according to this particular play, the horseman is stopped from killing himself for a while because the British police found out what he was planning to do and thought this was immoral. This situation caused caused the horseman's son, Olunde, to commit suicide to regain the family's honor and keep with the tradition. Upon hearing this news, the horseman strangles himself in the jail cell with the British police by his side.


My favorite quotes of this work would have to be...

"LIFE IS HONOUR. IT ENDS WHEN HONOUR ENDS." (3030)

"TODAY IS YOUR DAY AND THE WHOLE WORLD IS YOURS. STILL EVEN THOSE WHO LEAVE TOWN TO MAKE A NEW DWELLING ELSEWHERE LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED  BY WHAT THEY LEAVE BEHIND." (3034)