The Lion and the Jewel, written in London, was one of the first of Soyinka’s

plays to be performed in Africa. It was performed at the Ibadan Arts

Theatre in 1959, where it was well received. The Lion and the Jewel was
the first major play to draw on traditional Yoruba poetry, music, and dance
to tell a Nigerian story in English. The play enabled Nigerian drama to
become part of world theater.

The Lion and the Jewel is a comedy set in the small remote village of
Ilujinle. There are three central characters: Lakunle, an eager but naïve
schoolteacher who accepts Western ideas and modernity without really
understanding them; Baroka, the village chief, who sees modern ideas as a
threat to his power; and Sidi, the jewel of the village, a beautiful woman
who will choose one of the men for a husband. The characters are
exaggerated: Lakunle is arrogant and talks too much, and Baroka is
cunning, but they are ultimately likable. Unlike many of Soyinka’s later
plays, there is no evil in this play, and the author pokes only gentle fun at
his characters. In the end, the men will have to deal with each other. As
Baroka says, “the old must flow into the new.”

The play focuses on several conflicts that Soyinka presents but does not
attempt to resolve. Lakunle and Baroka embody the contrary urges toward
modernity and tradition. They personify the two sides of the major social
and political issue in Africa during the last half...

Baroka

Baroka (bah-ROH-kah), the “Bale” of Ilujinle, the “Lion” in the title of the
play. This village chief is sixty-two years old, very proud, deceptive, and
cunning. His attempt to win the village belle, Sidi, through deception is the
central focus of the play. The Bale manipulates the other characters by
feigning sexual impotence.

Sidi

Sidi (SEE-dee), the village belle, about eighteen years old, very pretty and
coquettish. She distracts the young schoolteacher, Lakunle, attracts a
traveling photographer who wants her picture to be in a magazine, and
passively flirts with the Bale, unaware of the Bale’s vast experience in
romance. Sidi is tricked into making love with the Bale at the end of the
comedy.

Lakunle

Lakunle (lah-KEWN-lay), a young, “modern,” and stylishly dressed liberal.

He is in fact a conservative who pretends to be interested in social
revolution; his real concern is for Sidi or any other available young woman
in the village. Lakunle’s supposed platonic love for Sidi is no match for the
Bale’s cunning and experience, and Lakunle proves to be a poor
adversary.

Sadiku

Sadiku (sah-DEE-kew), the primary wife of the Bale. One of her principal
jobs is to woo younger wives for the Bale. She convinces Sidi that the
young woman should marry the Bale by telling her that the Bale is old and
that Sidi will have the honor of being the senior wife of the new Bale.

The favorite

The favorite, the Bale’s present young woman. She tries to please him, but
she is informed by the Bale that she has no time to improve her affection
because he is taking a new wife. She represents another conquest by the
Bale.

The surveyor

The surveyor, an outsider who is planning to build a road through the

village. He is easily bought off by the Bale, who offers gifts if he will build
the road in another place, thus preserving the land and the traditions of his
people.

The Lion and the Jewel, on one level, is a comedy about love. Lakunle, the
naïve, modernist schoolteacher, attempts to win Sidi’s love by teaching her
about the “new” woman’s role, a role based largely on Western society.
Opposing him is the shrewd Bale, striving to win Sidi’s love by any means
he can, including the ruse about his supposed impotence.

Lakunle’s dress and speech indicate the shallowness of his role of

reformer: His clothes show his rejection of the traditional dress of the
villages, and his speech expresses his undigested ideas comically. He
rejects a traditional element of the marriage ceremony, “the bride price.” He
addresses Sidi as an ignorant girl, demonstrating his impetuous lack of
control; he alienates himself from the audience with his lack of valid ideas.

The Bale, who wins the sex war, presents himself more favorably. He
impresses Sidi with his postage stamp machine, which does not work, and
by allowing his servants to form a trade union and allowing them one day
off. He is nevertheless, a conservative who plans to keep the village as it
has always been. The Bale is a supreme protagonist: Lakunle is simply no
match for him. Wole Soyinka’s humorous caricature of Lakunle has the
audience taking the Bale’s side. Sidi and Sadiku also win the audience,
with their sly understanding of the falseness of both men. Soyinka
maintains the humor of the play through his characters—the self-parody of
Lakunle, the coquettish behavior of Sidi, and the self-assured quality of the
Bale.

The play also has an allegorical level. Sidi represents the Nigerian people,
who are tempted to believe the impotence of the past, but eventually
experience its power. The Bale represents the centuries of tradition that
extend into the present. The mimes, which take place twice in the play,
present flashbacks that give the play added historical depth. The play’s
energetic combination of dance, song, mime, and comic dialogue
reinforces its themes. Soyinka shows a passionate concern for his society,
seeking freedom for all. His ideas are not only African, however: His
characters and mannerisms are African, but his people represent the whole
race. Although many characters are potential victims of their own ingenuity,
his heroes are marked ultimately by their ceaseless striving.
he Lion and the Jewel, although an early play by Wole Soyinka, is perhaps
his most widely known and performed drama. It was first produced along
with The Swamp Dwellers (pr. 1958, pb. 1963); both plays are concerned
with a society in flux and treat the issue with humor. The Lion and the
Jewel differs in tone in that it conveys a sense of physical danger that is not
apparent in the former. The Lion and the Jewel contains most of the
dramatic themes and literary devices that Soyinka enlarges upon in later
plays. Although it is lighthearted and contains music, dance, and mime, it
also has a serious underlying theme—the possible dangers inherent in the
clash between the old and the new.

Soyinka’s continued concern with the theme of the battle between a

traditional and an emerging society appears in later plays such as A Dance
of the Forests (pr. 1960, pb. 1963) and The Trials of Brother Jero(pr. 1960,
pb. 1963): The former views history as a cyclical movement; the latter
unfolds a satire of undiscovered identities. Similar dramatic conventions
appear in Death and the King’s Horseman (pb. 1975, pr. 1976), in which
traditional customs are challenged, and the age-old idea of self-sacrifice is
shown to be no mere mechanical ritual. The protagonist, Elesin, is
confronted with the same danger of change that confronts the Bale. When
Elesin’s son, Olunde, assumes the traditional responsibility that Elesin
avoids, he embodies Soyinka’s hope for the regeneration of a healthy
community.

The canon of Soyinka’s work—in drama, poetry, essay, and the novel—
was justly acknowledged with his receiving of the Nobel Prize in Literature
in 1986. Soyinka’s dramas have a strong social impact; through his use of
humor, satire, irony, and realism, he has created African drama that
addresses universal concerns.

The Lion and the Jewel (1963)

This play is one of Soyinka's most popular. Despite occasional uses of

unconventional devices, it is readily accessible and highly entertaining. Like Death
and the King's Horseman, a much more serious work, it explores the value of
traditional Yoruba ways vs. European innovations. Some modern readers object to
its treatment of women and find the humor spoiled by the sexism. What is your
reaction?

Morning

The play is set in the village of Ilujinle. Note Lakunle's age. Despite his behavior
on occasion, he is essentially a lively young man. He tries to emulate European
notions of courtesy by relieving Sidi of her burden, though carrying water is
traditionally a women's task. His flirtatious opening speech may seem rather crude,
but is typical of the kind of jesting that goes on in courtship. Sidi is not so much
shocked as bored by Lakunle.

How does Sidi cleverly answer his insistence that she should abandon the
traditional way of carrying loads on her head? Note the contrast between the ideas
that Lakunle has derived from books about women's weakness and Sidi's answers
based on experience. Baroka, the Bale (chief) of the village is a major character
later in the play, here introduced as standing for tradition.

"A prophet has honour except/in his own home:" Jesus says this when his family
and acquaintances in his home town of Nazareth reject his teachings (Mark 6:4).
When Lakunle proposes to Sidi he is quoting words he has read in popular English
books about marriage. Note that his pretentious metaphors are answered by her
pithy proverb. "Bush" means "uncivilized," typical of people who live in the bush.

Their relationship is clarified when Sidi says she wants a bride-price. It is not that
she lacks affection for Lakunle--what has passed before has been essentially good-
natured sparring on her part. But she insists on the tradition which will prove her
value in the eyes of the village. Lakunle, in his "Pulpit-declamatory" style, quotes
to her lines from the wedding service which are in turn quoted from Genesis 2:24.
Why does Lakunle mention "breakable" plates? "Stretched" hair is a form of
straightening of naturally kinky African hair. What is Sidi's reaction to kissing?

Why is Sidi eager to see the stranger's book? Notice how the conflict in the play
which has been between Lakunle and Sidi is now complicated by the tension
between Sidi and Baroka. How do you react to Sidi's celebration of her own
beauty?

The dance of the lost Traveler draws on Yoruba tradition and that of many other
African peoples. Current events are often depicted and commented upon in dances
involving costumes and pantomime. It is this sort of "street theater" which Soyinka
sees as providing fertile ground for the development of drama in Africa. One of the
problems with reading a play rather than seeing it performed, is that one skims
quickly over what would be a very impressive high point in the production, with
dancing and drumming building to a climax. Imagine this "dance" taking quite a
long time and having much more dramatic impact than anything that has gone
before. Note that Lakunle finally enters into the dance with enthusiasm. Despite his
modern pretensions, he is underneath not so alien to Sidi and her comrades as one
might at first suppose. The stranger had been photographing Sidi while she was
bathing, and she quickly grabbed up her clothes to cover herself when she saw
him.

Baroka gives Lakunle the traditional greeting and is displeased to get a European
one in return. Far from being displeased by the dance, he insists on it being
continued, playing the role he played in the original incident. When he tells
Lakunle "You tried to steal our village maidenhead" he is speaking to the character
Lakunle is playing, not the villager himself. He is telling him to go on acting. Why
is it significant that Lakunle has been given the part of the stranger?

Noon

"The Lion" is Baroka's nickname. It is common in many cultures for men to use
elderly women as go-betweens to solicit a new bride. What is Sadiku's special
status? Ruth, Rachel, Esther, and Bathsheba were all women extravagantly loved
by men in the Bible, a book which is quite alien to Sidi. What do you think of the
fact that Sidi seems to have learned that she is beautiful through the magazine
photographs? How do the magazine photographs affect Sidi's perception of
Baroka? The storm god Sango (often spelled "Shango" or "Xango" is a West
African deity, the most famous of those to have survived the slave trade to the
western hemisphere, where his name is invoked in such places as Bahia and Haiti,
where African traditions linger on among the black inhabitants. Of what quality
does Lakunle accuse Baroka?

Laukunle's story is told through pantomime, in the form of another dance. Again it
is important not to skip quickly over this passage, but to attempt to imagine it
vividly enacted on stage. A matchet is a large knife used for clearing
brush, machete in Spanish. Note how the Bale is worked into this "flashback." A
bull-roarer is a carved piece of wood or stone which is whiled at the end of a long
cord to produce a mysterious roaring sound, part of the religious traditions of many
cultures. What do you think Lakunle's attitude is toward Baroka's success in
diverting the railroad?

The removal of body hair is a feature of many cultures, not--as is often supposed--
of western ones alone. How can we tell that Baroka is confident of his ability to
seduce Sidi? "Wroth" means wrathful, angry.

Night

Sadiku's glee at Baroka's impotence may be partly based on resentment at having

been long abandoned by him as a lover; but there seems generally to be a tension
between the Bale and his wives which roots his dominance over them in his sexual
potency. Her story of the rusted key which could not open her treasure house is an
obvious sexual metaphor. However, based on what we have just seen, she knows
of his impotence only through what he has told her, not by first-hand experience as
she claimed. Note the insistence on the power of women's rituals, from which men
are banned. Note Sidi's glee in desiring to torment Baroka. What are the main
features of Lakunle's vision of "progress?"

The wrestling match in Baroka's bedroom is of course a metaphor for the power
struggle about to take place between himself and Sidi. What excuse does Baroka
give for there being no servants about? Throughout this scene the Bale tries to
throw Sidi off her balance by pretending not to know why she has come. To what
extent does he succeed? "Christians on my Fathers' shrines" is a general curse. I
have no idea what this saying means: "The woman gets lost in the woods one
day/And every wood deity dies the next." Can you explain it?

To "pull asses' ears" is to mockingly put one's fingers behind one's head to imitate
a donkey's ears. How does Sidi mock Baroka in her conversation with him? It is
suggested that a" tanfiri" may be an aphrodisiac. What metaphor does she use to
satirize his pursuit of young women? The "tappers" are palm-wine tappers. How
does Baroka manage to keep throwing Sidi off balance in their conversation? In his
description of Sadiku's activities as match-maker he quotes her typical line of chat.
Sidi's respectful words in boasting of her traditional garment cause Baroka to call
her "wise."

Several small African nations make a large part of their national income by selling
beautiful stamps to collectors abroad. It is not then too surprising that the Bale
should view stamp sales as a major source of revenue. What is it the Bale says he
dislikes about progress? How can you tell that Sidi is being bewildered by Baroka?
According to a parable of Jesus (Mark 2:22), new wine should not be put into old
"bottles" (wineskins) which have already been stretched out and may burst when
the new wine begins to ferment. Why do you think Sidi is "overcome" by Baroka's
words? What appeals to her in what he has said?

The third pantomime ironically depicts the triumph of women over a man just as
the Bale is triumphing over a woman. Lakunle's description of the Bale's dungeons
is probably a paranoid fantasy. "Mummers" are dancers who pantomime stories.
Lakunle is expected to tip the mummers, like other people; but in this he adheres to
the pattern established by his refusal to pay a bride price. He clings to modernism
as an excuse for saving money, though the following description makes clear that
he actually enjoys the performance.

A duiker is a small antelope which leaps high in the air. Why is Sidi angry with
Baroka? Because she has been seduced or because she has been deceived? What
does she stress in her words? Lankunle reacts with stereotypically heroic words of
despair, but when he hears himself utter them, he recoils and changes metaphors.
What is going on here? What is his reaction to Sidi's loss of her virginity? What are
his motives? A "praise-singer" is a traditional poet-bard, often known as a
griot , who sings the praises of whoever hires him. What is Lakunle's reaction to
Sidi's seeming acceptance of his proposal? Can you explain his reaction?

Can you explain Sidi's decision? How can we tell that Lakunle is hardly broken-
hearted? Is this a story about rape? About seduction? What do you think its
significance is?

The Trials of Brother Jero(1964)

Africa has been a fertile ground for Christianity, where it is growing faster than
anywhere else, except perhaps in the former territories of the communist eastern
bloc. Churches multiply and spread wildly, many of them quite unconventional.
This play is a satire on a theme familiar to many Americans: the unscrupulous
preacher more interested in greed than salvation.

A "divine" is a clergyman. Jeroboam is a "Beach Divine" because he belongs to a

lower class of preachers who, lacking churches, preach in the open, on the public
beach. There is a common English expression "eggs is eggs" (probably originally a
pun on the algebraic statement "X=X") which means roughly "they're all the
same". This Jeroboam denies, at least in the case of Prophets. High Life is an older
form of popular urban dance music in West Africa. Note how in even in this
simple comedy Soyinka uses techniques such as having the protagonist directly
address the audience while a flashback of his old Master cursing him takes place in
the background in an almost cinematic "voiceover." "Daughter of Eve" is an
expression for "woman." There is a prophet named Jehu in the Bible (1 Kings
16:7), but Soyinka is probably slyly alluding to the more famous and flawed king
of that name in 2 Kings 9.

Scene II

We now go back from this prologue to an earlier day. Ministers in this context are
high government officers (they would be called "cabinet members" in the
American system). What is Amope's attitude toward her husband? The "cola"
referred to here is the same mild stimulant called kola nut elsewhere. "One pound,
eight and nine" is one pound, eight shillings and nine pence. A calabash is a large
gourd, often used for making vessels. It is traditional for a customer to denigrate
the goods of a vendor when bargaining, but Amope rather overdoes it.

Scene III

What signs are there in Jero's speeches that he has a mainly mercenary attitude
toward his followers? Note that the satisfaction and release the young girl
experiences in swimming, presumably naked, is contrasted with the systematic
frustration employed by Jero to control Chume. How does she affect Jero? The
names Jero calls out are all pious men from the Bible who presumably could help
him in his struggle, though David was notoriously susceptible to women too.
Chume speaks in dialect. "Help am" is "help him." "Na" is "He is." Stressed
adjectives are repeated, so "very quickly" becomes "quick quick." "Hebra" sounds
vaguely like "Hebrew," but it is not clear what "Abraka" means. These words are
meant to indicate miraculous "speaking in tongues" practiced by some Christian
groups, as becomes clear in the next aside by Jero. An apostate is one who leaves
the true faith. Ashtoreth and Baal are pagan gods denounced in the Bible, and
sometimes considered demons. Why does Jero find it a safe prophecy to predict a
man will live until eighty? The convulsions alluded to are a common by-product of
spiritual possession, both in traditional African animist religions and certain forms
of Christianity. Note the use here and earlier of "talking" drums as a form of insult.
Soyinka cynically comments on the ritualistic nature of possession by the spirit by
referring to it as "the expected penitent's paroxysm." Why is Chume able to take
over the congregation? "Palaver" is talk, or--here--argumentation. Who do you
think has been beating Jero? Why does Chume not know that Jero is the man his
wife is after? Eve is famous for being the first human to sin, Delilah for betraying
her husband Samson, and Jezebel as the wicked wife of King Ahab. Why does Jero
change his mind about allowing Chume to beat his wife? See John 2:15 for Jesus'
use of a whip to drive the money changers out of the Temple. Why is Jero sadly
fingering his cape at the end of the scene?

Scene IV

What is Chume's reaction to learning whose house his wife has been waiting in
front of?

Scene V

A "back-bencher" is a junior member of Parliament, without much influence. Such

politicians rarely make speeches. Why do you think he is introduced into the play?
Does he resemble anyone else? How does Jero appeal to him? What conclusion
does Chume draw (mistakenly) about the relationship between Jero and his wife?
Why is the member of Parliament so impressed when Jero disappears? How does
Jero plan to use him to get rid of Chume?

Contemplation Upon
This poem is about the persona, who is presumably dead, thinking about
the flowers that he observes. He admires many characteristics that he sees
in the flowers and wishes to possess them. The word ‘contemplation’ in the
title shows a deep though and focus that the persona has on the flowers.

In the first stanza the flowers are personified to have bravery but without
vanity. The simile “that I could gallant it like you” shows that the persona
believes that he is not brave in the face of death. The flowers have a short
lifespan yet they bloom beautifully and die after giving the world a sight to
admire yet they do not complain. This is one of the first characteristics of
the flowers that the persona wishes to have. The persona also makes sure to
mention the connection between the flowers and earth, “you know your
birth,For your embroidered garments are from earth.” This shows an
admiration for the rural/natural aspects of life which is simpler and less
complex. The closeness to earth is also a comment on human behaviour
because when a human is seen as beautiful, he normally develops vanity
and forgets to be humble unlike the flower that is connected to the soil is
aware of where it comes from.

In the second stanza the persona wishes that the flowers could bloom
forever and winter would not come, “but I would have it ever spring; My
fate would know no winter, never die, nor think of such a thing;”. Here
spring is symbolic of life and winter of death, it shows how the human
being wishes that he could live forever and enjoy life but the reality of death
is certain just as winter will come with the rotation of seasons. In the last
line of this stanza, there is the hint that the persona is dead and speaking
from the grave, with the euphemism “my bed of earth” referring to the
grave.

In the final stanza, the persona wishes that the flowers can teach him. This
concept is seen in several poems where the poets encourage human, who
are supposedly the most advanced species, to take lesson from nature. The
flowers accept death, accepts its short existence unlike the human who is
always grappling with this fact.