Death and the King's Horseman

Wole Soyinka author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Published:2nd Jul '98

Should be back in stock very soon

Death and the King's Horseman cover

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.

"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" Guardian


Elesin Oba, the King's Horseman, has a single destiny. When the King dies, he must commit ritual suicide and lead his King's favourite horse and dog through the passage to the world of the ancestors. A British Colonial Officer, Pilkings, intervenes.


This edition features an interview with the author.


Commentary and notes by Jane Plastow

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 * Guardian *
A transfixing work of modern world drama * Independent *
clearly a masterpiece. . . he achieves the full impact of Greek tragedy * Irving Wardle, Independent on Sunday *
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 * Michael Schmidt, Daily Telegraph *

ISBN: 9780413695505

Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 10mm

Weight: 156g

160 pages

New edition