Table of ContentsIntroduction“Death and the King's Horseman” as a Tragic NarrativeElesin as a Tragic HeroCommunity Values ​​versus IndividualismConclusionIntroductionIn the realm of drama, cultural influences often shape the story, giving birth to captivating stories. tragedies that affect the public. Wole Soyinka’s masterpiece, “Death and the King’s Horseman,” is no exception, as it delves into the complex web of religion, tradition, and human experience. As Aristotle, the famous philosopher, explains in his seminal work “Poetics,” tragedy is the representation of serious, self-contained action, conceived with eloquent language adorned with artistic embellishments. These elements are meticulously arranged in dramatic form, weaving a narrative that evokes pity and fear, ultimately leading to a catharsis of these emotions (Aristotle, 23).Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay “Death and the King's Horseman” as a tragic tale Soyinka's magnum opus undoubtedly encapsulates the essence of tragedy, skillfully eliciting a myriad of emotions from its audience. It is evident that the concept of “catharsis” serves as a channel for the playwright to convey his thoughts and ideas. Through the vehicle of emotions, Soyinka effectively penetrates the depths of the human soul, allowing the audience to grasp the central message and themes of the play with unwavering conviction. "Death and the King's Horseman" unfolds as a tragic tale, the main aim of which is to expose the terrible consequences that befall those who dare defy divine mandates and disrupt the delicate balance between the three worlds - the realm of the unborn child, the kingdom of the living and the kingdom of the ancestors. Drawing parallels with the ancient Greek tragic playwrights Aeschylus and Sophocles, who crafted religious dramas exploring the complex interplay between gods and mortals, Soyinka's opus testifies to the universal resonance of tragic themes. across cultures. Furthermore, the rich tapestry of poetic language that envelops the narrative is rooted in historical events, forging a deep connection to the Greek tragic tradition. Thus, "Death and the King's Horseman" invites us to recognize its kinship with Greek tragedy, emphasizing that a true tragic hero should be, according to Aristotle's definition, "better than us" in terms of moral stature , only to meet a dismal fate. due to a tragic flaw or error of judgment (Abrams, Harpham, 315). Elesin as a tragic hero In the case of Elesin, the protagonist of Soyinka's tragic tale, Aristotle's criteria are fulfilled almost word for word. Elesin, holding the esteemed position of the king's horseman, ultimately finds himself plunged into suffering and shame. His tragic fall was the result of a grave error: a failure to fulfill his sacred ritual duty. Elesin's descent into calamity awakens a deep sense of compassion in the hearts of the audience, coupled with a haunting fear of succumbing to similar mistakes in their own lives. However, one distinctive element sets him apart from the archetypal Greek tragic hero. In African theater, the focus shifts from individualistic concerns to the well-being of the community. In this regard, “Death and the King's Horseman” stands as a tragic masterpiece that embodies the essence of the Aristotelian tragic hero while embracing a unique African perspective. At the heart of Elesin's tragic fate, as married to Soyinka and rooted in the Nigerian ethos, is her profound neglect of duty. Previously occupyingthe zenith of the social hierarchy, Elesin's abandonment in the performance of his ritual sacrifice inexorably opens a series of tragic repercussions. Elesin, in her own words, reflects on her privileged previous life: “How is this possible? Throughout my life as a King's Rider, the juiciest fruit on every tree was mine. I saw, I touched, I courted, rarely was the answer No. The honor of my place, the veneration I received in the eyes of a man or woman made my costume prosper and wreaked havoc on my sleeping hours” (Soyinka, 76). His social status plummets, leaving him mired in humiliation, while his spiritual stature diminishes as he transgresses divine order, becoming a sinner and a rebel against the gods. Furthermore, his actions sow chaos in the realm of the deceased, a transgression which, according to Yoruba beliefs, reverberates throughout the world of the living. , Soyinka's praise singer, guardian of culture, severely reprimands his former leader: "Elesin, we placed the reins of the world in your hands and you saw it plunge to the edge of the bitter precipice" (Soyinka, 75 years old ).Lyaloja, too, issues a vehement warning: “You have betrayed us. We fed you such treats as we hoped were waiting for you on the other side. But you said no, I have to eat the world's leftovers. We said that you were the hunter who destroyed the prey; The essential parts of the game belonged to you. No, you said, I am the hunter's dog and I will eat the entrails of the game and the hunter's excrement. We said you were the hunter returning home in triumph with a killed buffalo resting on his neck; you said wait, first I have to pull up this cricket hole with my toes” (Soyinka, 68). The tragic essence of “Death and the King's Horseman” crystallizes when Elesin's sacred ritual duty is thwarted, casting a deep shadow over the narrative. His son, Olunde, becomes the most poignant victim of his father's misstep. Witnessing his father's failure to complete the ritual, Olunde is overcome by a heartbreaking feeling of shame and grief. He says the heartbreaking words: “I don’t have a father. eater of leftovers” (Soyinka, 61), paving the way for the climate catastrophe that follows. In an act of profound sacrifice, Olunde commits suicide, seeking to erase the shame inflicted by his father and to offer a contrite apology to Lyaloja, a keen observer of the unfolding tragedy, emphasizing the consequences of Elesin's actions: "Because he couldn't bear to let honor slip away, he stopped it with his life. The son has proven himself to be the father, Elesin, and there is nothing left in your mouth that can grind gums" (Soyinka, 75 years old). Looking at the lifeless body of his son, Elesin is consumed by grief and guilt, and in a moment of deep despair, he commits suicide by strangling himself with a chain before anyone can intervene. Lyaloja, while lamenting Elesin's late departure, blames the white men for trying to. to stop the fate he inflicted on himself, emphasizing that he finally left, even if he left too late: “He finally entered the passage, but oh how late it is. will feast on meat and throw bones at him The passage is blocked by the droppings of the King's stallion; he will arrive all stained with manure” (Soyinka, 76). led to the abandonment of his mission, can be interpreted as his capitulation and submission to the European colonizers. As Tanure Ojaide astutely points out, Elesin's failure does not come from refusing to die but from not dying. appropriate time. The rituals follow a strict schedule, and Elesin's delay unwittingly provides theauthorities an excuse to prevent him from fulfilling his sacred duty (Ojaide, online). In a moment of despair, Elesin succumbs to the overwhelming influence of outside forces, a profound act of "blasphemy" against his own beliefs. When alien hands disrupt the sanctity of his mission, he contemplates the unthinkable, attributing divine intent to this intrusion: "It is when the alien hand pollutes the source of the will, when a force of alien violence shatters the calm resolution of the mind is when a man is led to commit the horrible betrayal of relief, to commit in his thoughts the unspeakable blasphemy of seeing the hand of the gods in this alien rupture of the world. I know that it is. "It was this thought that killed me, sapped my powers, and turned me into a child in the hands of unspeakable strangers. I tried to speak my spells again, but my tongue just slammed into my mouth." Soyinka, 64) As Elesin points the finger at the white man, his gods and his wife, he neglects his own guilt that the weakness comes not only from the intrusion of the white man but is also rooted in it. his own desires: “My weakness did not come only from the abomination of the white man who violently entered my discolored presence; there was also a weight of desire on my earthly limbs” (Soyinka, 65 years old). Furthermore, in a moment of introspection, he almost concedes that he had surrendered his will to the domination of the European colonizers, lamenting that his will had been extinguished. facing an alien race: “My will was crushed by the spit of an alien race” (Soyinka, 65 years old). In a scathing rebuke, Lyaloja alludes to Elesin's submission, condemning him for allowing the colonizers to assert dominance over the situation. (Soyinka, 65 years old). Indeed, when the call of death initially beckoned to Elesin's heart, nothing could deter him from fulfilling his sacred duty, not even iron bars or the presence of the "alien race." "Death and the King's Horseman", besides Greek tragedy, is the dominant theme of individualism. The Yoruba religion places primary importance on collective well-being and community prosperity, considering individualism a grave dishonor. The idea that an individual's selfishness can disrupt the harmony of the three interconnected realms—the living, the ancestors, and the unborn—ultimately afflicting the individual themselves. Therefore, there is no room for selfishness in this deeply communal ethos. In "The Fourth Stage" and later in "Myth, Literature and the African World", Wole Soyinka explores the complex relationship within Yoruba cosmology between man, gods and ancestors. This cosmology, as expounded by Soyinka, contrasts sharply with the Christian and European emphasis on individualism and individual salvation. In Yoruba culture, the emphasis shifts to community, and that community transcends the boundaries separating the dead, the living, and the unborn. The emphasis is on continuity, maintaining the unbroken and interconnected relationship between these three stages of existence (Ralph Bowman, 82). Mark Ralph-Bowman rightly argues that to grasp the "religious mystery" at the heart of the play, we must put aside the entire Western tradition of individual tragedy. Despite the protagonist's superficial resemblance to a tragic hero, whose attributes recall “the greatness, dignity and pathos of Oedipus; Hamlet's searching anguish,” interpreting the play through such Western lenses would be misleading (94). Ralph-Bowman asserts that the play does not mourn the tragic loss of the individual, but rather condemns Elesin for his failure to uphold the valuesYoruba communities. Elesin, despite his imposing stature, must be unequivocally disowned by the community. He is rejected in the world of the play because his selfish individualism deviates from the sacrificial death prescribed by the Yoruba religion (Booth, 529). Soyinka explicitly emphasizes this idea in the piece itself. Elesin explains to Pilkings that his actions do not affect him alone, but that they afflict the entire community: “I am prevented from fulfilling my destiny. Have you ever thought about all this, about this plan to push our world off course and cut the cord that connects us to the great origin?" (Soyinka, 63). The contrasting perspectives on the deliberate death of a soldier during a war summarizes these opposing views Jane regards the soldier's self-sacrifice as unreasonable and unjustified, proclaiming: "It's absurd. Life should never be deliberately wasted" (Soyinka, 53), while. which Olunde celebrates as an act of self-sacrifice and a great honor The conversation between Olunde and Jane highlights these divergent perspectives Jane asks Olunde about her acceptance and satisfaction with her father's death. began to mourn his father as soon as he learned of the king's disappearance (Soyinka, 53 He states that Elesin has a duty to his community and must not dishonor his people: “What can you offer [Elesin]). in place of his peace of mind, in place of the honor and reverence of his own people? (Soyinka, 53 years old). These stark ideological differences may well be the main catalyst for Elesin's tragic fate as the English colonizers exercised their dominance. Lyaloja's last words to Pilkings confirm this notion. When Pilkings wonders if this tragic outcome is what she desires, she places blame and bitterness on him: "No, my child, this is what you have brought into being, you who play with the lives of strangers, who even usurps the clothes of our dead, yet believe that the stain of death will not cling to you. The gods only required the old, stale plantain but you cut off the sap-laden shoot to feed your pride. (Soyinka, 83). The tragedy of Elesin can thus be summed up as the downfall of a great man whose aspirations clash with the standards imposed by the European colonizers. In every respect, the ideological divergence between the two tragedies is striking. The Nigerian tragedy does not revolve around the downfall of an individual; it is the entire community that suffers. The Nigerian public might be inclined to look down on a character like Elesin, who is perceived as weak. However, Soyinka skillfully reinforces the dimension. human character of the play, arousing pity and fear in the audience. It is in the imprisonment of Elesin and the death of his son that he achieves tragic greatness, temporarily making us forget his faults. In the final act of the play, through a sequence of events and poetic language, Soyinka reestablishes Elesin's hold on the audience's emotions. In a dark scene, Elesin is confined in a prison cell, drowning in melancholy and plagued by guilt and shame. The community gathers to reprimand and humiliate him, and Elesin implores them to forgive him, uttering the words “may the world forgive me” (Soyinka, 73). The very people who, to a large extent, bear responsibility for his suffering imprisoned him and restricted his freedom. Elesin is rendered helpless and bewildered, unable to determine whether to assign blame to his gods, the white man, or himself. In this poignant scene, Soyinka lays bare Elesin's tormented soul. Furthermore, the scene where Olunde lies lifeless while his father watches him encapsulates the essence of the tragedy. The final act of the play ends with two lifeless bodies on stage, consolidating "Death and the Horseman: 19.3/1 (1992): 210-214.