"Death and the King's Horseman" is a play by Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka, first performed in 1975. The play is set in colonial-era Nigeria and is based on a true story that Soyinka heard from his father. The story follows the ritual suicide of a Yoruba king's horseman, who is expected to follow his king into the afterlife. When the British colonial authorities intervene to prevent the suicide, it sets off a clash of cultures and values, with devastating consequences for all involved. The play explores themes of tradition, power, and the collision of African and European cultures in a complex and multi-layered way. Soyinka draws on elements of Yoruba mythology and ritual to create a rich and vivid portrait of Nigerian society and its struggles for autonomy and identity. "Death and the King's Horseman" is widely regarded as a masterpiece of African literature and a powerful indictment of colonialism and cultural imperialism.
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