Death and the King's Horsemen Summary
Wole Soyinka

Death and the King's Horsemen Summary

Act I

As Death and the King's Horseman opens, Elesin Oba walks through a Nigerian village market at the close of the business day. He is followed by an entourage of drummers and praise-singers, and as he makes his way through the market he talks with the praise-singer Olohun-iyo about "the other side" and about the importance of "this day of all days." Apparently, Elesin Oba is enjoying his last day on earth; at night he will go to join his "great forebears." The women abandon their work of putting away the goods from their stalls and come to flirt with Elesin, who is obviously a great favorite and well known for his sexual prowess and his many conquests.

Much of the dialogue is written in rhythmic free verse. Elesin dances, and chants the story of the Not-I bird, a bird who fails to fulfill his duty. In an exchange with... View more of the Death and the King's Horsemen Summary