Death and the King's Horseman

What role do women play in Death and the King’s Horseman? How are they portrayed differently from the play’s male characters?

Soyinka has long been an outspoken critic of colonialism, and this is often represented in his work. What does Death and The King’s Horseman say about colonialism? How is the colonial government represented throughout the play?

Should Death and the King’s Horseman be considered a tragedy? Is Elesin a tragic hero? Why or why not?

Discuss the story of the Not-I bird. What significance does it have for the play, and how does it portray death?

Elesin’s young bride is unnamed and does not speak throughout the play. What is the significance of her character, and why does she remain unnamed and silent?

Why does Soyinka caution against reading Death and the King’s Horseman as a “clash of cultures?” Why would this be the default interpretation of the story’s conflict, and how does it obscure the play’s other themes?

Compare and contrast Olunde and Pilkings’s experiences with assimilating to a different cultural environment. How has each man responded to their exposure to a different culture and place? How are they alike or different in their responses and experiences?

What role do honor and integrity have within the play? How do different characters conceive of these concepts, and what is their wider significance?