THE THEME OF WESTERN CULTURE IN WOLE SOYINKA’S DEATH AND THE KING HORSEMAN AND THE LION AND THE JEWEL
Abstract
This study was on The Theme of Western Culture in Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King Horseman and the Lion and The Jewel. Based on soyinka’s point of writing there is life after death and cultural conflict confronting the African society today. These two plays also exposed the African cosmology and their view of the world. In Death and the King’s horseman for instance, Soyinka deals with the African belief in life, death and life after death. Soyinka, on this premise has identified the life cycle and a state of transformation. According to him, the Africans death is not the end of one’s life. When a child is born, he grows to adulthood, old age, and then dies and after death he reincarnates to an offspring and be born to the world as the life cycle continues. He further set an example, as the king leaves for the world beyond him definitely needs a horseman as is reflected in the two selected plays under investigation.
