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Act 1 Summary of Death and the King’s Horseman
Act 1 of Death and the King’s Horseman takes place in a bustling Nigerian market as it is winding down for the day. It introduces the protagonist, Elesin Oba, and establishes the ritual context of the play: Elesin must commit suicide to accompany the late King to the afterlife.
The play opens with Elesin Oba entering the market passage, accompanied by drummers and his Praise-Singer. He is described as a man of “enormous vitality” who speaks and dances with an “infectious enjoyment of life.” The Praise-Singer questions Elesin’s haste, likening him to a cockerel leaving his tail behind, but Elesin insists that the market is his “roost” and the home of his spirit.
To prove his readiness for death, Elesin performs a theatrical monologue about the “Not-I” bird. He mimics various members of society: a farmer, a hunter, a courtesan, and a Mallam. He describes how each one panics and cries “Not I!” when they hear Death whispering. Elesin claims that when the bird came to him, he “unrolled (his) welcome mat for him to see,” asserting that he is the master of his fate and unafraid to die.
The women of the market, led by Iyaloja, surround Elesin. A brief moment of tension occurs when Elesin pretends to be “bitterly offended” by the women. The women are terrified they have displeased him on his holy day, but it turns out to be a jest: Elesin is offended by his clothes. He demands to be clad in honour. Relieved, the women rush to drape him in rich damask and alari (red) cloth, singing his praises.
Just as Elesin declares that he is ready to leave the world “good” and “held together,” he catches sight of a beautiful young girl. Despite being minutes away from his ritual death, he becomes possessed by desire. He describes her beauty vividly, comparing her thighs to the “ripples” of a river and her eyes to “new-laid eggs.”
Iyaloja informs him that the girl is betrothed to her own son. However, Elesin insists on marrying her immediately. He rationalises this desire by claiming he must “travel light” and shed his “excessive load” (his seed) into the earth before he departs. He argues that this union is necessary to leave a legacy and unburden his spirit.
Iyaloja is conflicted but eventually yields. She notes that one cannot refuse the wish of a man standing at the “gateway of the great change.” She agrees to give the girl to Elesin, thereby sacrificing her son’s happiness for the sake of the ritual. However, she issues a grave warning: Elesin must ensure that this earthly attachment does not become a curse or a heavy weight that hinders his passage to the next world. The act ends with the women preparing the bridal chamber and the bride kneeling before Iyaloja.
Analysis of Act 1
The central paradox of Act 1 of Death and the King’s Horseman is Elesin’s overwhelming love for life in the face of his imminent death. He is not a sombre, ascetic figure but a man of appetites. He loves the market, the women, the clothes, and the banter. While he claims these are final farewells, his behaviour suggests a deep attachment to the world he is supposed to leave. His sexual desire for the girl at the very moment of transition highlights this tension; he frames it as a spiritual necessity (“shedding seed”), but it appears to be a manifestation of his reluctance to let go of the physical world.
The market is presented as the heart of the Yoruba world, a “hive which contains the swarm of the world.” The women and the Praise-Singer act as a chorus, validating Elesin’s status. The Praise-Singer functions as a conscience, constantly checking Elesin’s resolve (“The cockerel must not be seen without his feathers”). The women treat him with reverence, fearing his anger because he is already “other”—he is an intermediary between the living and the dead.
Elesin’s confidence borders on arrogance. His story of the “Not-I” bird is a performance of bravery, mocking others for a fear he claims not to have. However, the Praise-Singer subtly warns him that “the hands of women also weaken the unwary.” Iyaloja’s warnings are even more explicit; she cautions him against eating the world’s “left-overs” and warns that the “curse” of a dispossessed husband (her son) should not be taken lightly, though the claims of the dead take precedence.
On the whole, Act 1 of Death and the King’s Horseman establishes the Yoruba worldview where the unborn, the living, and the ancestors are linked. Elesin’s duty is to keep the world from “plunging over the edge of the bitter precipice.” His demand for the bride is framed as an attempt to bridge these worlds—creating a child who will be “neither of this world nor of the next.” However, this act creates a delay and a distraction that sets the stage for the tragedy to follow.
Related:
- Act 2 to 3 Summary and Analysis of Death and the King’s Horseman by Wole Soyinka
- Act 4 Summary and Analysis of Death and the King’s Horseman by Wole Soyinka
- Act 5 Summary and Analysis of Death and the King’s Horseman by Wole Soyinka
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