Wole Soyinka's Play "Death and the King's Horseman"

Death and the King's Horseman explores the cultural conflicts between Yoruba traditions and western colonialism. Ritualism in Yoruba traditions becomes the focus of that conflict when Elesin, the king's horseman, must kill himself the night before the king's funeral so that he may accompany the king into death. The conflict occurs when the District Officer in Oyo tries to prevent the ritual killing from taking place.

The arrival of the Crown Prince in Nigeria adds to the tension in the play. The colonialists were supposed to have wiped out such cultural practices, therefore the ritual killing taking place during the Crown Prince's visit is an embarrassment or a sign of their inability to control the so-called "natives."

The conflict between Yoruba traditions and western colonialism plays out in the heirarchical relationships between the colonialists and the Yoruba people. The power dynamic the colonialists have over law enforcement, house help, etc., reveals an inbalance between the colonialists and the Yoruba. Another matter of this power dynamic occurs with Simon and Jane, the District Officer and his wife, and Olunde, Elesin's son. Simon and Jane have undertaken Olunde's western education to become a doctor. This has caused a strain between Olunde and Elesin.

Elesin considers the colonialist's act as an insult to him and Yoruba cultural traditions by indoctrinating his son with western values and alienating him from his traditions and culture. Yet, despite the many years Olunde has spent in Europe, he ends up killing himself after his father is arrested to prevent him from performing the ritual killing. Does this mean that western education didn't have an affect on Olunde? During a conversation with Jane, Olunde eludes to his life back in Europe and how he was treated by Europeans. Olunde was made aware of the inbalance of power with in the cultural dynamic he was placed in.

When he sees his son's body, Elesin commits suicide, but this killing is not done in the traditional ritualized manner. His death is compromised by the interference of colonialists. What should have been a great joyous act has now been turned into tragedy.

An interesting aspect of the play occurs with Amusa, the district sergeant. In one scene, he goes to the compound where Elesin is staying to make certain that no ritual killing is being planned. He is confronted by the market women who mock him. During this scene, the differences between the way Amusa speaks and the women speak is apparent. Amusa speaks with a noted accent, while the women do not. What is Soyinka suggesting here? Does this difference suggest a language difference between Amusa and the market women?

Members of different clans were often pitted against each other by colonialists to prevent unity from different groups against the colonialists. That may be the case here. But why have the women speak in so-called "grammatically-correct" English and Amusa not?