Death and the Kings Horseman by Soyinka: Is Elesin a Tragic Hero - Book Report/Review Example

Is Elesin a tragic hero or do you believe that another character in the play has taken on this role? Introduction Despite his failure as the Kings Horseman or perchance because of his entirely human failure and weaknesses, it can be said that Elesin is the tragic hero of the play. ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’ is written by Wole Soyinka who has his origins in the Yoruba tribe of Nigeria. It is the story of Elesin, the king’s horseman, who is supposed to commit ritual suicide after the death of the king, but who is diverted from his duty. The story is based on a true historical event in 1946, when a royal horseman named Elesin was not permitted to commit ritual suicide by the colonial British. (Napierkowski.) Olokun Esin (Kings Horseman) was an extremely important position in Oyo. The possessor of the title and position maintained very close affiliation with the reigning Alaafin (king), enjoying privileges that were only outdone by those of the Alaafin himself. Hence Elesin’s failure to commit suicide is seen as shameful and full of complications for the cosmic balance. But Elesin’s eldest son Olunde, who has come back to Yoruba after studying medicine in Europe, commits ritual suicide in his father’s place so as to re-establish the honor of his family and the cosmic balance. Later on learning of Olunde’s death Elesin kills himself in remorse. The Tradition The Yoruba like many African cultures have an elementary belief that life is a continuum. The deceased are not forgotten; ancestors are honored and respected as guides and companions. The unborn babies are also cherished, and new babies may in fact be re-incarnations. The most crucial moments in the life cycle are those of transition from one type of continuation to the next that is, the transition into the physical world during birth and the road into death. Elesins task as kings horseman is to perform the transition from life into death in a ritual way, to re-enforce the fact that that life is a continuum. (Soyinka) In Yoruba tradition, the death of the King must be followed by the ritual suicide of the King’s Horseman as the Horsemans spirit is crucial to helping the Kings spirit rise to heaven. If not the Kings spirit will wander the world and damage to the Yoruba people. It was the sacred duty of the King’s horseman to surrender his life on the night the Alaafin was to be buried and take a fall on behalf of his community through the transitional abyss so that he could maintain close companionship with the dead Alaafin in the world beyond life. In fact the tribe held Elesin as a redeemer and he has lived his whole life in anticipation of the chosen moment of sacrifice. (Raji) The Ritual In the Yoruba society, everything survives in a great backdrop of history and general awareness of the gods and the cosmos. While living may be an individual experience, everyone is a part of a bigger reality. Therefore every action affects everything and everyone in the world. Everyone in creation is interconnected. This is the reason the community is so close and so conscientious when it is time for Elesin to follow his Alaafin into the afterworld. Elesins suicide is seen as a communal ritual. Customarily the Elesin dressed in the death cloth leaves the palace to go to his home to die. He is surrounded by family and friends, drum-beaters beating funeral dirges and the house is full of mourners. Feasts are prepared for the Elesin and his acquaintances and he distributes presents and makes his last will. As the suicide must be committed before sunset the Elesin every wish is granted and every need catered to. When the coffin and grave are ready the Elesin is supposed to take poison and pass this world before sunset. If in case the poison fails the relatives strangle the Elesin to save him from disgrace. (Johnson) Elesin As seen from the above discourse death in most African traditions is not a termination of life but a transition to the afterworld or the world of the ancestors and gods. In keeping with this is the belief that in order to preserve a harmonious relationship with the afterworld, the living must suitably send off the dead by conducting appropriate burial rites for the departed. In case of the king just deceased, the ritual suicide of the King’s Horseman is part of the funeral rites. This, was in fact what every Elesin lived for and this was the reason Elesin lived a life full of privilege second to none but the Alaafin he served. He is a man of "enormous vitality", a little conceited and fond of women and good living. He is also renowned for his sexual conquests.  He has a honorable spirit, but is prone to the failings of the flesh When the critical hour arrives, there is nothing in Elesin’s manner or deportment to indicate his readiness for this huge responsibility. He is full of life singing and dancing his talks in expressive riddles and poetry; he converses with an educated and intellectual air. As the king’s horseman, a position connected with royalty, this show of refinement is anticipated. His riddles leave spectators amazed, while his violations in the ritual call-response arrangement, which take place before his “suicide”, indicate his fear of death. He recounts the tale of the Not-I bird, which is actually a fake story signaling his fear of death. (Podallan) The Failure Elesin further prevaricates in his duty by delaying his suicide to take a new bride in these last moments of his life. This act can be seen as further weakening his resolve. Since Elesin is "at the threshold between life and death", his every wish is granted by the people of Yoruba.  Preparations are made for Elesin to wed and sleep with the woman, and the ritual suicide postponed. After consummating the marriage to his new wife, Elesin gets ready to die.  He slips into hypnotic state, and does not defy the British officials, when they arrest him. Due to the delay caused by his preoccupation with pleasures of the flesh, the British were able to prevent Elesin from completing his sacred duty in accordance with tradition.  Elesin is disgraced and his failure throws the villagers in turmoil as they believe this has disturbed the cosmic balance of the universe.  Later in prison the villagers bring the dead body of Olunde to show Elesin that his failure as King’s horseman was compensated for by the sacrifice of his elder son. The sight of Olunde’s dead body has a profound effect on Elesin and full of remorse and shame he immediately strangles himself with the very chains he is bound. So eventually Elesin does die but his death is no longer considered honorable and he has condemned his soul to a dishonored existence in the afterworld. Olunde Olunde, Elesin’s eldest son, is studying medicine in England and has traveled down to Nigeria to perform his father’s funeral. Having been brought up as the son of the king’s horseman, Olunde understands self-sacrifice and knows that it is an admirable and sometimes necessary act to ensure the greater good. After studying in Europe Olunde has been exposed to the philosophies of the British yet, despite all his education he retains his cultural beliefs. He does not consider the Yoruba tradition of ritual suicide as a barbaric like the British officials do. His experience in England actually makes it possible for him to be able to emphasize the contradictions in Western civilization and this he articulates very logically in his discussions with the Pilkings: "[…] I had plenty of time to study your people", Olunde says to Jane, Pilkings wife, in a declaration that sums up his outlook on western culture, "I saw nothing, finally, that gave you the right to pass judgment on other peoples and their ways. Nothing at all". In fact his suicide re-enforces his commitment to both his family and his tribe and their beliefs. (Raji) The Sacrifice The result of Elesin’s failure to commit suicide is catastrophic, as the breach of the ritual means the disturbance of the cosmic order of the universe putting the wellbeing and future of the tribe in jeopardy. The tribe blames Elesin for this catastrophe and the family of Elesin is deeply shamed. Like the rest of the Yoruba society, Olunde thought that his father would fulfill his duty to the tribe. He was shocked and revolted to find his father still alive and failed in his sacred duty. Olunde feels unable to swallow the disgraceful reputation this brings upon the family. He is determined to protect the family’s honor; he displays great strength of character and commits suicide in the place of his father. In doing so Olunde is perceived to have saved the family name and ensured the continued wellbeing of the Yoruba people. Conclusion Many see Elesin’s son Olunde as the tragic hero, who commits suicide in the place of his father to save the family honor and avert the cosmic crisis faced by the Yoruba because of the King’s Horseman’s failure to join and guide his Alaafin through the transitional abyss after death. Elesin is a failure who is conflicted by the divergent desires of earthly pleasure and the obligation to heed the call of his sacred duty. Elesin failed to “raise his WILL to cut the thread of life at the summons of the drums ……” Yet he is the real tragic hero of the play. This is because although Elesin fails in his sacred duty to commit suicide, and shames himself by living yet he still commits suicide at the end. The tragedy is that this suicide is not committed with honor but in disgrace and remorse over the death of a beloved son. Olunde’s death is also a tragedy but it raises his status to great heights amongst his tribe whereas Elesin’s death is a double tragedy as it ends in futility and remorse but it brings him no honor and he is disgraced both in life and death. Reference: 1) Johnson Samuel The History of the Yorubas: From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the British Protectorate (Lagos, Nigeria: C.S.S Bookshop 1976) 55-57 2) Napierkowski. Marie Rose "Death and the Kings Horseman: Introduction.” Drama for Students.Vol.10.Detroit:Gale,1998.eNotes.com.January2006. Read More