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Death and the King's Horseman

By Wole Soyinka
Series: Modern Classics
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Death and the King's Horseman by Wole Soyinka explores the clash between traditional Yoruba culture and British colonial rule. Set in Nigeria during World War II, the story centres on a ritual suicide that goes awry due to the intervention of colonial authorities. This dramatic exploration delves into themes of duty, honour, and cultural misunderstanding, highlighting the consequences of cross-cultural interference.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$3299
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're interested in a powerful exploration of colonial tensions, cultural conflicts, and the complexities of duty and sacrifice. It's a compelling read that brilliantly intertwines tragedy and ritual with a keen insight into Yoruba traditions and British colonial rule.

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Based on real events that took place in Oyo, the ancient Yoruba city of Nigeria, in 1946, Nobel Prize-winner Wole Soyinka's play tells how Simon Pilkings, a well-meaning District Officer, intervenes to prevent the ritual suicide of the Yoruba chief, Elesin. This Student Edition includes a full introduction, commentary and questions for study.

Based on real events that took place in Oyo, the ancient Yoruba city of Nigeria, in 1946, Nobel Prize-winner Wole Soyinka's play tells how Simon Pilkings, a well-meaning District Officer, intervenes to prevent the ritual suicide of the Yoruba chief, Elesin. This Student Edition includes a full introduction, commentary and questions for study.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The action of the play is as inevitable and eloquent as in Antigone: a clash of values and cultures so fundamental that tragedy issues: a tragedy for each individual, each tribe. – Daily Telegraph

This play, by the winner of a Nobel Prize for Literature, asks: 'On the authority of what gods' the white aliens rupture the world. It puts exciting political theatre back on the agenda ... a masterpiece of 20th century drama. – The Guardian

Death and the King's Horseman revolves around Elesin Oba, the King's Horseman, who has a single destiny. Upon the death of the King, it is his duty to commit ritual suicide and lead the King’s favourite horse and dog through the passage to the world of the ancestors. The intervention of a British Colonial Officer, Pilkings, disrupts this sacred duty.

This Student Edition includes a full introduction, commentary and questions for study by Jane Plastow, as well as an interview with Wole Soyinka.

Series: Modern Classics

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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Wole Soyinka's play is celebrated as a masterpiece of modern drama, praised for reintroducing political themes and eliciting emotions akin to Greek tragedy. The Guardian describes it as a significant contribution to 20th-century theatre, while the Independent finds it transfixing. The play is noted for its inevitable and eloquent action, exploring a fundamental cultural and value clash that results in tragedy for individuals and communities, according to critics like Irving Wardle and Michael Schmidt.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780413695505

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 July 1998

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Methuen Drama

Edition: New edition

Audience: Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 156g

Pages: 160

Collections

Education & Reference Non-Fiction Series: Modern Classics Wole Soyinka

About the Author

Wole Soyinka - playwright, novelist, poet and polemical essayist - was born in Nigeria in 1934. Educated there and at Leeds University, UK, he worked in the British theatre before returning to West Africa in 1960. In 1986 he became the first African writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

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