Death and the King’s Horseman

by

Wole Soyinka

Death and the King’s Horseman: Act 5 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Elesin stands in his cell, his wrists chained. His bride sits outside the cell, looking at the ground, and there are two guards watching him. Pilkings enters, leans against the bars, and joins Elesin in looking at the moon. He attempts to engage Elesin in conversation. Elesin insists that the night isn't beautiful or peaceful; the world's peace has been destroyed forever. Pilkings reminds Elesin that he saved his life, but Elesin says that Pilkings did the exact opposite, and in doing so, also destroyed many other people's lives. Pilkings insists he did his duty and doesn't regret it, but Elesin says that he won't regret it until later.
Here, the two differing conceptions of duty come up against each other. Elesin tries to explain that he had a duty to his people to die, while Pilkings insists that he's doing his duty by keeping Elesin from dying. Notice, however, that the way that Elesin speaks shows that his inability to do his duty has more far-reaching consequences than Pilkings's; while Pilkings may have been embarrassed, the Yoruba people are now irrevocably knocked off course.
Themes
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Quotes
After a moment of silence, Elesin says that he knows Pilkings is waiting for dawn, as he believes that Elesin will be safe once the sun rises. He says that Pilkings has no reason to worry, as he was supposed to die at a specific moment during the night, and that moment passed a long time ago. Elesin explains that the spirits sent word of that specific time through the drums, and Elesin began to follow the moon to the afterlife. It was at that moment that Pilkings arrived. Pilkings insists that they just see their duties differently.
Though Pilkings suggests that he and Elesin just don't see eye to eye in regards to what should've happened, there's more to this—Pilkings stopped Elesin from dying, thereby showing that as far as he's concerned, his duty and his beliefs are more powerful, meaningful, and should take precedence over any of Elesin's or the Yoruba’s.
Themes
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Elesin tells Pilkings that he doesn't blame him, even though he stole Olunde and sent him to England and then stopped Elesin from fulfilling his destiny. He asks if Pilkings planned it all out, but Pilkings says that if he did plan on stealing Olunde, he failed. Elesin replies that regardless, Pilkings succeeded in making it so Elesin didn't see this coming. Now, the world is off kilter and people are lost. Pilkings points out that Olunde doesn't think that everything is lost, which shocks Elesin. He reminds Pilkings of how Olunde behaved when "the world reversed itself" and he fell down in front of his son. Pilkings explains that Olunde regrets what he said, but Elesin says that Olunde spoke correctly. Elesin understands now that Olunde was right to go to England to learn the English people's secrets so he can seek revenge for Elesin's shame.
When Elesin begins to talk about the way things begin to go wrong when he had to kneel down in front of his son, it shows the reader that there are some tangible negative consequences to Elesin's failed suicide; it's not all going to take place in an unreachable otherworldly realm. It's also important to note that Elesin recognizes the power that Olunde now has, given that he's been in England and understands the English culture better. Now, he'll be able to fight the English and colonialism as a whole because of what he knows about his oppressors. Instead of turning against his own culture and being convinced of English superiority, he weaponizes his new knowledge against those who would oppress him.
Themes
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Quotes
Pilkings offers that he spoke to Olunde about the matter, and Olunde asked for Elesin's forgiveness. He wants to come and receive Elesin's blessing and say goodbye. Elesin asks if Olunde is leaving, and Pilkings says he thought it best, and advised Olunde to leave before dawn. Sadly, Elesin agrees, but says that he can no longer be honored as Olunde's father, so what he thinks doesn't matter. Pilkings explains that Olunde will stop by later, per his advice. Elesin points out that Pilkings has advice for all of their lives, but Elesin can't figure out what god's authority he's calling on to get his advice.
Now that Pilkings has succeeded in stopping Elesin, he feels even more able to take control over everything else and dictate how things proceed from here. Note too how Elesin speaks of himself now. He's no longer a revered figure; he's one who is so dishonored, he can't even claim that he has a son who might appreciate his opinion on something.
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Pilkings turns to go, but asks if he can ask Elesin a question. He explains that he's learned a few Yoruba sayings, and remembered one when he came upon the women all encouraging Elesin to kill himself in the market. The proverb says that elders approach heaven grimly, and don't necessarily make the journey to the afterlife willingly. Elesin sighs, but Jane runs in, calling for Pilkings, before he can answer. Pilkings and Jane run off.
Again, Pilkings shows that he may know more about the native people than he lets on, but he still uses what he knows to support his own beliefs rather than seeking to understand the Yoruba on their own terms. This means that Pilkings will never be able to understand why Elesin had to die, even if hesitating was potentially natural.
Themes
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Elesin turns to his bride and says that first he blamed Pilkings for his failure, then the gods, but now, he wants to blame her. He's not sure that blaming anyone matters now that the world is so upset, but his bride was more than just a woman he desired. Elesin says that she was the last gift from the land of the living, and her body made it far more difficult to cross over to the afterlife. He confesses that his weakness and failure didn't just come from Pilkings: he didn't want to die.
By blaming his failure to kill himself on Pilkings, the gods, his bride, and on his desire to stay alive, Elesin shows that this is a far more complex situation than anyone has thus far given it credit for. By admitting that maybe he didn't really want to die, Elesin also leaves open the possibility that even as he despises the Western beliefs that drive Pilkings, he might also relate to some of them.
Themes
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Quotes
Pilkings and Jane return to the cellar. Pilkings is annoyed that Jane keeps interfering as he looks over a note, which seems to be from Olunde. Jane implores her husband to let Olunde visit, but Pilkings insists that he's not inclined to give in to the threat in the note that there will be rioting tomorrow if Olunde doesn't get his way. Cursing, Pilkings laments that the prince is visiting now. He approaches Elesin and says that Iyaloja came with a note from Olunde and wants to see him, but he's not thrilled about letting her in. Elesin says that he'll see her, since there's no more shame for him to experience.
When Pilkings curses about the prince being here, it shows that this really wouldn't bother him so much if a very important person weren't watching. Again, this suggests that Pilkings's conception of duty is extremely flawed, as he only sees the value in doing what he's supposed to do when he wants to impress someone. Elesin, on the other hand, wants (in theory at least) to behave dutifully no matter who's watching.
Themes
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Pilkings leaves to fetch Iyaloja while Jane encourages Elesin to understand that Pilkings is trying to help. Elesin gives her a strange look, points to his bride, and notes how still and quiet she is. He says that he'll speak with Pilkings, not Jane.
Here, Elesin tells Jane that as a woman, she has no right to question these things. Her job is to interpret things for the reader or viewer, not make him understand what's going on.
Themes
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Pilkings returns and asks Elesin to swear on his honor that he won't accept anything from Iyaloja. Elesin points out that Pilkings has certainly already searched Iyaloja and touched her in a way that he'd never touch his own mother. He also points to the guards and says that Pilkings already has his honor, as well as the honor of his people. Exasperated, Pilkings shows Iyaloja a line on the floor, tells her not to cross it, and instructs the guards to whistle if she does. He leads Jane away.
The fact that Pilkings is still so afraid that Elesin will die shows that even though Elesin explained to him that he missed his opportunity, Pilkings refuses to take Elesin seriously and learn something about the Yoruba. This comes back to the idea that the English in this play think the natives are all liars and treat them accordingly.
Themes
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Iyaloja is derisive of Elesin and insults his cowardice. Elesin wearily asks for Iyaloja's message, even if it's just curses, and says he deserves her anger. Iyaloja shouts that she warned Elesin to not leave a cursed "seed" behind, and asks who he think he is to create new life when he couldn't even move on to the afterlife. The bride gives a heaving sob, and Iyaloja looks at Elesin with even more anger. Iyaloja asks how Elesin will deal with this catastrophe.
It's important to note that fixing this situation falls to Elesin, not to someone else—or at least, that's what Iyaloja would like Elesin to believe at this point. The reader will later learn that Olunde already attempted to fix the situation by dying, which suggests that Iyaloja is just trying to make Elesin understand the consequences of his selfish behavior.
Themes
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Elesin insists that all of his powers left when he tried to die, especially when he felt the chains on his wrists. Iyaloja says that he betrayed them and now will have to eat the "world's leftovers" and live in his dishonor. Elesin says he doesn't need whatever "burden" Iyaloja brought with her; he needs understanding. Iyaloja points out that she warned him, but Elesin says that an "alien hand" poisoned his will to die and stopped him from following through. Unimpressed, Iyaloja says that she doesn't care how Elesin explains things to himself. In any case, it's unfitting to hear "please save me!" coming from an ancestral mask.
In this exchange, Iyaloja reassumes her role as Elesin's conscience and shows him where he went wrong and where he'll go wrong in the future. Her comment about the ancestral mask has to do with the way that the Yoruba interact with the egungun. The ancestors speak through the costumes, so expressing fear through the mask is inappropriate.
Themes
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Quotes
Iyaloja reminds Elesin that she's here with a burden, which is at the gate where the white men are stationed. Before she brings it in, she asks Elesin if the "parent shoot" of the plantain withers to give life to the new shoot, or if things happen in the opposite direction. Elesin is confused, but answers that the parent withers. Iyaloja shouts that the world sees things differently. She inadvertently steps over the line, and the guards blow their whistles and jump up to restrain Elesin. Pilkings races in, learns what happened, and Elesin asks them to leave Iyaloja alone. This makes Iyaloja even angrier, as she says that once, Elesin was powerful enough that only brave men dared to touch him.
By using the metaphor of the plantain, which characters use often throughout the play, Iyaloja forces Elesin to engage with the language specific to his culture in order to interpret what's going on and what he must do. Iyaloja's anger after the guards jump up shows that what she's really angry about is the fact that Elesin seems resigned to let the colonizers win, and isn't fighting at all to fix what happened.
Themes
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Pilkings says that it's time for Iyaloja to leave and explains that they're moving Elesin tomorrow. Iyaloja insists that she knows all of this, and this is why she brought her burden with her tonight. She cryptically reminds Elesin of his "lesser oaths" that he can't break, and Elesin asks Pilkings to let in the women that Iyaloja says are coming. Addressing Pilkings, Iyaloja asks, if the prince were to die here, if they'd bury him here—if his people don't have ceremonies to honor the dead. Pilkings points out that they don't make people commit suicide to keep their kings company.
By pointing out that even the English have specific customs surrounding the dead, Iyaloja tries to make Pilkings see that they must be allowed to perform the rites for the king in the appropriate manner. The fact that there are women coming with something important is a reminder that it falls to the women to make sure that the men around them follow the rules; they're the ones that bear the burden when the men mess up.
Themes
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Quotes
Iyaloja says that she's not here to explain things to Pilkings. She tells him that Elesin understands what happens when a king dies. He knows that it'll cause trouble when the king realizes that he's been betrayed; the king will wander among enemies. Iyaloja asks Pilkings to let Elesin release their king. The aide-de-camp races in with news that there's a group of women chanting on the hill. Jane suggests that this is what Olunde referred to in the letter, but Pilkings snarls that he can't let them in. He asks the aide-de-camp to send a car to fetch Olunde, as it's time for him to go. Iyaloja says that Olunde will come himself soon and asks Pilkings to let the women in.
In this situation, Iyaloja is the only person who appears to have any real power—and her power comes from what she says, not from what she does. She implies that the women will come up the hill regardless, and is able to make it clear to Pilkings and Elesin what's going to happen. This elevates the position of characters like Iyaloja, as she's the one who allows the audience and the other characters to understand what's going on.
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The aide-de-camp points out that the group is just women, so Pilkings agrees that they can enter. As the aide-de-camp runs off, Pilkings warns Iyaloja that his men will shoot if the women cause trouble. Iyaloja scorns the logic of the white man, who will kill other people to prevent one person dying. She insists that the prince will sleep soundly tonight and soon, her king will also be at peace. She asks that Pilkings let Elesin complete this final duty.
The aide-de-camp mentioning that the group is just women shows that he doesn't appreciate the power of the women in Yoruba society. As far as he's concerned, they're helpless and controllable. In reality, they're here to make sure that Elesin understands exactly how badly he messed up.
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The women enter, chanting and carrying a long cylindrical object on their shoulders. It's covered in cloth. They set it down, form a circle around it, and continue to chant with the drummer and the praise-singer. Pilkings asks what the object is, and Iyaloja says that it's the burden Pilkings made. Elesin wants to whisper words for the king in the ear of the king's courier (the object), but Pilkings won’t let him out. Iyaloja tries to convince Pilkings, but he continues to refuse.
The play raises the tension regarding what is being carried in as Elesin’s “burden.” By denying Elesin the privilege of getting out so he can speak to the king's courier, Pilkings makes it so Elesin doesn't even have a power that the play affords to women. This makes Elesin's position even lower, especially as it also denies him the ability to do anything to fix the mess he’s made.
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The praise-singer reminds Elesin of how he said that if he cannot come, to ask his horse for help, or ask his dog to track a path. He says that at that point, Elesin told the praise-singer that he already found the path to the afterlife. The praise-singer continues, reminding Elesin of his other warnings and words of advice. Then, he motions to the object and says that it's the favorite companion of the gods. Now, Elesin's horse and his dog have gone before him, and he's left eating the world's leftovers. They tell him that he has to perform the rites over the person who took his place. Iyaloja then removes the outer covering, revealing Olunde's body.
Remember that Olunde came home to perform the rites over Elesin's body. Now that Elesin is being asked to perform the rites for Olunde, it's another upset in the way the world should be—the son is supposed to perform the rites for the father, not the other way around. The praise-singer is still willing to guides Elesin and show him where he's gone wrong so that hopefully, Elesin can make better choices in the future.
Themes
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The praise-singer tells Elesin that they gave him the power to keep the world in line, but he allowed "evil strangers" to shift the world's course and in doing so, jeopardize their future. Olunde, however, has now given his life to Elesin. This is wrong, and the world is even more off-course than they first thought. Elesin stares at Olunde for a moment before flinging the chain of his shackles around his neck and strangling himself. He dies before the guards can do anything to save him, so they lower him to the ground. Pilkings races into the cell and performs CPR on Elesin while the women continue to chant.
Killing himself with the chain, especially since he's in a former holding cell for slaves, shows that even if Elesin's fault was loving life too much and had nothing to do with colonialism, colonialism is still what kills him in the end. In this regard, the English come out on top here. Their history in the area has finally managed to upset the local customs and destroy an integral part of the culture. Pilkings tries to save Elesin’s life one last time, once again disregarding Elesin’s own wishes in the matter.
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Iyaloja asks Pilkings why he's trying so hard to do something that nobody, not even Elesin, will thank him for doing. She says that Elesin is gone now, but he's late and will arrive in the afterlife stained in horse manure from the king's stallion. Tiredly, Pilkings asked if this is what Iyaloja wanted. Iyaloja says that this is what Pilkings gets when he messes with the lives of strangers, wears clothes reserved for the dead, and then expects to not have blood on his hands. She tells him that because of him, they've lost Olunde too.
Now that Elesin is dead, Iyaloja turns her wrath on Pilkings, attempting to shame him for what he’s done. Her mention that Pilkings wore clothes for the dead is a reference to the egungun costumes he wore to the ball. This suggests that he was asking for trouble when he put on clothes that are only worn by the dead, as in doing so, he sought to control both life and death.
Themes
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Quotes
When Pilkings moves to close Elesin's eyes, Iyaloja shouts at him to stop and nods to the bride. The bride steps into the cell, closes Elesin's eyes, and pours dirt over each of his closed eyelids. Iyaloja leads the bride away, telling her to forget both the dead and the living and to concentrate only on the unborn.
Encouraging the bride to look to the future of her unborn child shows that regardless of what happened, Iyaloja and the remaining women need to look to their children to save them. They are the ones who have to deal with the consequences of Elesin's failure and English colonialism in the long run.
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