Death and the kings horsmen : giving up the battle

A detailed Summary of Death and the kings horsmen : giving up the battle

Death and the King's Horseman: Giving up the Battle

From the Western perspective, it is hard to understand ritual suicide as anything positive or helpful to the living. There almost seems to be no Western equivalent to the "duty" of Elesin in Death and the King's Horseman. However, Wole Soyinka gives us a comparable situation in Jane's description of a captain blowing up a ship to save the people on the shore. It's a moment of hypocrisy on Britain's part, both trying to prevent Elesin's suicide and lauding a Western suicide which purports to do the exact same thing - save the living from destruction. It's also clear that Olunde sees this ridiculous parallel, but he does not make Jane see the connection. Instead, he lets the matter drop, which, in the Western perspective is puzzling. We want everyone to see the truth and explain it, and think worse of Olunde because of his inability to show Jane what's really going on. But it is really his own unique viewpoint and actions that show that what he does is much smarter than our want of brute force.

Olunde's intelligence stems from thinking before acting. Yes, Jane gives perfect ammunition to explain

Finally, Olunde is in the unique position that he is both a Yoruban and trusted by the British; seen as one of their own. If he fights openly for the rites of the Yoruba that seem abhorrent to the English, he will lose this position in their eyes. And it is indeed this situation which allows him to kill himself to save the destruction to his people. Although he does seem fairly certain that Elesin will die instead of going with Pilkings, it is still a beneficial circumstance for Olunde, and he's smart enough not to sacrifice that for a small amount of pride or to try and convince someone who has no power to do anything.

why his father saving his people from destruction and going to a much better place, but that doesn't mean the best solution is for him to point this out. Changing people's opinions in discussion might be a Western virtue, but opening one's trap is not always the best strategic option. Olunde's education and background combined give him a unique vantagepoint on action, and he sees that he can best help his people by waiting and evaluating the situation.

Secondly, and perhaps the most obvious of reasons, her knowing the reality

Some common words found in the essay are:
Jane Jane, Finally Olunde, Yes Jane, It's Olunde, Wole Soyinka, Battle Western, giving battle, death king's horseman, King's Horseman, death king's, Death King's, western perspective, king's horseman,

Approximate Word count = 776
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Arts

join now Save Paper

Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

"Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
Jack M.
"With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
Brian P.
"I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
Sara J.
"I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
Rachel W.
"I love this site!!!"
Marie N.