Death and the King's Horseman by Wole Soyinka summary

 

Act I

As the play begins, Elesin Oba walks through a Nigerian village market at the end of the business day. Elesin, the king's horseman, dances  through the market. He is eager to reach the market and assures his praise-singer that he just wants to be in the market among the women, where he is happy. The praise-singer makes sure that Elesin still plans to die later. Elesin assures him that he's happy to die, but now, he wants the women to dress him in fine clothes and enjoy life. To show the praise-singer how serious he is about dying, Elesin dances and chants the story of the Not-I bird. The Not-I bird goes around to all people, animals, and gods, telling them it's time to die. All the beings tell the bird they're not ready and hide away, but Elesin says that when the bird came for him, he told it he'd be right along. As Elesin tells this story, the women of the market, including Iyaloja, the mother of the market, surround him and dance with him. He and the women perform a call and response chant in which he assures them that he's going to die.

 

Elesin, the women, and the praise-singer discuss how honorable Elesin.  He demands to dress him in fine clothes. Elesin catches sight of something in the distance, it was a beautiful young woman, walks into the market. The praise-singer thinks that Elesin is going crazy when he begins to talk about possibly being dead already. They discuss Elesin's reputation as a ladies' man, and Elesin asks about who the woman was. Iyaloja hesitantly explains that the woman is already engaged. This annoys Elesin, but he persists and says that since it's his last day on earth, he should be allowed to marry her, conceive a child with her, and leave this as a parting gift. Though Iyaloja tries to convince Elesin that this is a bad idea, she finally admits.

 

Because Elesin is at the threshold between life and death, he cannot be refused his last wish. Iyaloja warns him not to stay back from his duty, and not to bring trouble on the people who will remain. Then, as the other women prepare the young woman to be Elesin’s bride, Iyaloja leaves to prepare the bridal bed.

 

 

Act II

Later that evening, at the district officer's house, Simon Pilkings and his wife, Jane, tango (dancing in the shadows) through their living room. They're dressed in egungun costumes.

(The Egungun is a secret society among the Yoruba people of Ede, Oyo State, Nigeria. The major Egungun festival takes place in June, when members of the society come to the market place and perform masked dances. The masks they wear represent ancestral spirits and may cover the whole body or just the face.)

 

The local sergeant, Amusa, arrives with news, but is distraught when he sees the egungun. He refuses to look at Pilkings or tell him anything, which makes Pilkings very angry especially since Amusa is a Muslim. Finally, Pilkings tells Amusa to just write down his report. Amusa's report is disturbing: Elesin plans to "commit death," which Amusa says is a criminal offense. Pilkings and Jane believe Elesin is going to murder someone, and Jane suggests they skip the costume to deal with this disturbance.

 

Pilkings decides to just arrest Elesin. They call for their houseboy, Joseph, who explains that Elesin is going to kill himself so he can accompany the king, who died a month ago, to the afterlife. Pilkings sighs. He has history with Elesin: as  he helped Elesin's oldest son, Olunde,  Simon had sent him to England to train as a doctor four years ago, despite Elesin insisting that Olunde needed to stay for some ritual. They reason that this is the ritual, and Jane realizes that Olunde would be the next king’s horseman. Joseph excuses himself when Pilkings calls the natives "devious bastards." Pilkings calls Joseph back to explain what the drumming is about, and is angry when Joseph says he can't tell; it sounds both like a wedding and a death. Joseph leaves again and Jane declares that they need to stay home and deal with this. Pilkings sends Joseph to the police station with a note to arrest elesin, he cannot afford to have any trouble while the prince is visiting his district. He tells Jane to put her costume back on so they have to go.

 

 

Act III

Back in the market, Amusa and his constables try to deal a group of women. Amusa and two constables are attempting to arrest Elesin, but the women stand around them hurling insults, claiming that he is working for the whites. They mock his virility (manhood), and accuse him of trespassing. They refuse to let him any closer to Elesin and say that Elesin will prove himself more powerful than the white men by killing himself.

 

Iyaloja arrives to mediate the situation, but joins the women in insulting Amusa. Several young girls take matters into their own hands. They steal the officers' batons and hats. This insults and embarrasses Amusa, but Iyaloja strengthened their defense. Finally, Amusa and his constables leave. The women dance and celebrate the girls as Elesin steps out of the stall. He has just had sex with his new wife, and says that the future lies with his child that the bride will bear. Elesin begins to listen to the drums, narrate what's happening, and dance toward death. The women dance with him as he says that the king's dog and horse are dying, and then the praise-singer reminds Elesin of what he must do. Elesin sinks deeper and deeper into the trance and the praise-singer tells Elesin that if those on the other side don't honor him properly, they'll welcome him back.

 

 

Act IV

At the ballroom in the British residence , the band plays music to introduce the prince. The prince is taken with the egungun costumes, but the resident soon pulls Pilkings outside to explain a note that arrived from Amusa about Elesin's suicide. The resident reminds Pilkings that he needs to be vigilant in order to support the empire, and when Amusa arrives, the resident asks if Amusa is part of the riot. Pilkings tries to get Amusa to give him his report, but Amusa again refuses to speak to him in the egungun costume. Pilkings dismisses Amusa as the clock strikes midnight. He and Jane wonder if this is the moment that Elesin will kill himself,and Simon runs away.

 

Olunde, who has returned from England, finds Jane outside and asks for Simon. They discuss her costume and though Olunde looks at her and says she's still doing a disrespectful thing by wearing the egungun costume. He explains that she doesn't understand why it's wrong because she's English. They discuss World War II, which is currently going on, and the ethics of killing oneself to save many others. Jane refuses to direct Olunde to Pilkings, and is shocked when Olunde says that he's here to bury Elesin and stop Pilkings from trying to stop Elesin from dying. He tries to make it clear that Elesin needs to die and is doing an honorable thing, but Jane won't admit it. He tries to explain to Jane that the tradition is sacred, and that it holds the universe on course even if she and Simon cannot understand it. He can calmly accept his father’s death, because he knows it is necessary.

 

Olunde leads Jane outside to listen to the drums and notes the moment in which Elesin dies. Olunde tries to explain why he was so calm, but also attempts to excuse himself to go sit with his father's body.

Simon returns, and Olunde thanks him for not interfering. But there is a commotion outside, and Olunde hears Elesin’s voice. Elesin is alive, shouting accusations at the white men who have brought him shame. Against all propriety, the father and son see each other, something they are forbidden to do once the kingis dead. Disgusted by Elesin’s failure, Olunde insults his father says, “I have no father” and walks away.

 

Act V

The final Act is set in Elesin’s prison cell. Simon comments on the peaceful night, but Elesin corrects him and insists that the night isn't calm by any means: Pilkings has destroyed Elesin's life and the lives of others. They argue about whether Pilkings was just doing his duty or not. Elesin explains that he's not at risk of dying anymore, as he was supposed to die at a specific moment a while ago. He says that he doesn't blame Pilkings, even though he's ruined his life by stealing Olunde and stopping Elesin from doing what he needs to do. Pilkings tries to comfort Elesin by saying that not everything is as bad as it seems; Olunde thinks that this is salvageable. Elesin disagrees, but thinks that he no longer has any honor and cannot even call himself Olunde's father.

 

Pilkings leaves, and Elesin tells his bride that he blames her in part for his failure, as she showed him that there are things on earth that he still wants to enjoy, and he didn't want to die. Pilkings and Jane return and argue if Olunde and Iyaloja should be allowed to visit Elesin. Elesin assures Pilkings that nothing worse than what's already happened will come of Iyaloja visiting.

 

Pilkings shows Iyaloja in and she immediately begins to scold  Elesin. She says that he's dishonored himself and the world, and reminds him that she warned him this would happen. He tries to explain why he faltered, but she's unsympathetic. Iyaloja says that she's coming with a burden.

 

Pilkings tries to send Iyaloja out, but she refuses to leave and says that Elesin must perform certain things. Their king will be upset in the afterlife, and he needs to let their king go. Some women enter, carrying a cylindrical object on their shoulders that's covered in cloth. Iyaloja says that it's the burden and the king's courier, and Elesin needs to whisper in the courier's ear so he can release the king. Pilkings refuses to let Elesin out. The praise-singer reminds Elesin of what his duty was and says that someone else took Elesin's place. The women reveal that the cloth covers Olunde's body, and the praise-singer continues to tell Elesin how he has ruined things. Horrified, Elesin flings his chains around his neck and strangles himself. Pilkings tries to rescue him, but Iyaloja tells him to stop. When he asks if this is what she wanted, Iyaloja answers that this is what Pilkings gets when he doesn't respect the customs of others surrounding death. The bride closes Elesin's eyes and pours a bit of dirt over them,  and then leaves with Iyaloja, who advices her, “Now forget the dead, forget even the living. Turn your mind only to the unborn.”