Death and the King's Horseman - STUDENT EDITION with Commentary & Notes

Elesin Oba, the King's Horseman, has a single destiny. When the King dies, he must commit ritual suicide and lead his King's favourite horse and dog through the passage to the world of the ancestors. A British Colonial Officer, Pilkings, intervenes to prevent the death and arrests Elesin

Widely considered to by Soyinka's greatest work, this play goes to the heart of the disruption of pre-colonial reality and reveals the way in which - when cultures clash, the world is turned upside-down.The notes to this edition include an interview with the playwright, a discussion of themes and characters, a dossier of photographs and notes on the production history, compiled by Alby James. The play is a set text for NEAB GCSE, NEAB A Level and NEAB A/S Level

"A transfixing work of modern world drama" ~ Independent

Clearly a masterpiece. . . he achieves the full impact of Greek tragedy" ~ Irving Wardle, Independent on Sunday

"The action of the play is as inevitable and eloquent as in Antigone: a clash of values and cultures so fundamental that tragedy issues: a tragedy for each individual, each tribe" ~ Michael Schmidt, Daily Telegraph

"This play, by the winner of a Nobel Prize for Literature, asks: 'On the authority of what gods' the white aliens rupture the world. It puts exciting political theatre back on the agenda ... a masterpiece of 20th century drama" ~ Guardian