32 pages • 1 hour read
A Dance of the Forests
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Book Brief
96
Play • Fiction
Nigeria • Unspecified
1963
Adult
18+ years
Super Short Summary
A Dance of the Forests by Wole Soyinka centers on characters summoned by the deity Aroni, who confront their past actions and the recurring political issues in postcolonial Africa through interactions with both the living and the dead. The play combines traditional Yoruba elements with European drama and challenges political corruption and historical romanticism. Themes of violence and loss are present.
Mysterious
Contemplative
Dark
Fantastical
Reviews & Readership
162 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
Review Roundup
Wole Soyinka's A Dance of the Forests is praised for its complex weaving of Yoruba mythology and Nigerian history, offering a rich, symbolic narrative. Critics appreciate Soyinka's inventive language and deep themes, though some find the play’s density and abstract structure challenging. Overall, it is acknowledged as a significant, though demanding, literary work.
Who Should Read A Dance of the Forests?
Readers who enjoy intricate, symbolic narratives and themes of cultural identity and history would appreciate A Dance of the Forests by Wole Soyinka. Fans of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart or Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's The River Between would find similar engagement through Soyinka's exploration of post-colonial and traditional African dynamics.
162 ratings
Loved it
Mixed feelings
Not a fan
The Forest Head
The Forest Head
The leader of the forest spirits and Orisha pantheon, who masquerades as Obaneji and subtly guides the play's events to encourage reflection and growth among humans.
Aroni
Aroni
A forest spirit who appears with a dog’s head and tail, possessing a unique connection to both the spirit and human worlds, and serves as a narrator.
Eshuoro
Eshuoro
A composite god created by Soyinka, combining aspects of two deities, who acts as the play's main antagonist with a penchant for disguise and disruption.
Ogun
Ogun
A god closely associated with war, art, and creation, who is the patron of artists and carvers and offers protection to Demoke.
The Dead Man
The Dead Man
A former captain in Mata Kharibu's army who suffers a somber fate after his resistance and is connected to various villagers through past-life interactions.
The Dead Woman
The Dead Woman
The Dead Man's wife, who remains pregnant in the afterlife and is linked to the village by past injustices, seeking resolution for her prolonged suffering.
Rola/Madame Tortoise
Rola/Madame Tortoise
A village prostitute who had a previous life as Madame Tortoise in Mata Kharibu's court and is involved in multiple scandals across her incarnations.
Agboreko
Agboreko
An elder recognized for his spiritual duties to the forest spirits, who also played a similar role in the past as a soothsayer in Mata Kharibu's court.
Adenebi
Adenebi
The village Council Orator with a notorious history of corruption, formerly serving as the Court Historian during Mata Kharibu's reign.
96
Play • Fiction
Nigeria • Unspecified
1963
Adult
18+ years
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