Death and the King's Horseman

Elesin Oba the King's Horseman has a single destiny. When the King dies he must commit ritual suicide and lead his King's favorite horse and dog through the passage to the world of the ancestors. A British colonial officer Pilkings intervenes.The action of the play is as inevitable and eloquent as in Antigone: a clash of values and cultures so fundamental that tragedy (ensues): a tragedy for each individual each tribe.-Daily TelegraphThis play by the winner of a Nobel Prize for Literature asks: On the authority of what gods the white aliens rupture a world. It puts exciting political theatre back on the agenda ... a masterpiece of 20th century drama.-GuardianMethuen Student Editions are expertly annotated texts of a wide range of plays from the modern and classic repertoires. As well as the complete text of the play itself the volume contains a chronology of the playwright's life and work; an introduction giving the background to the play; a discussion of the various interpretations; an interview with Wole Soyinka; and notes on individual words and phrases in the text.