Death and the King's Horseman

Premiering in 1975, Death and the King’s Horseman is a play written by Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka. Soyinka is known for his plays, including A Dance of the Forests (1963) and The Lion and the Jewel (1962). Death and the King’s Horseman is set in Oyo, Nigeria, during World War II and tells the story of Elesin Oba, the titular king’s horseman who must die by ritual suicide after the Yoruba king dies. The colonial government stops Elesin’s suicide, but the text also suggests that Elesin, a robust man full of life, might not have fulfilled his duty even without interruption. Based on true events, Death and the King’s Horseman explores the tensions between British and Yoruba cultures in colonial Nigeria. However, the heart of the play lies in exploring Elesin’s relationship with death as he comes to terms with his mortality and the reality of completing his duty. The play consists of five acts and is performed without an intermission.

This guide uses the 2002 Norton paperback edition of the play.

Content Warning: Death and the King’s Horseman and this study guide repeatedly reference ritual suicide and death by suicide. 

Plot Summary

Death and the King’s Horseman opens in a Yoruba market.