Elesin Oba The Horseman Of The King English Literature Essay

The market is shuting for the twenty-four hours. Womans are emptying the stables, turn uping mats, and seting off their wares. Elesin Oba, the male monarch ‘s equestrian, enters via a transition in forepart of the market scene, pursued by congratulations vocalists and drummers. He is described in the phase waies as a adult male of tremendous verve. The primary Praise Singer asks Elesin what rendezvous he is travel rapidlying off to, and Elesin laughs at the gag. They tease each other a great trade in this scene, talking to each other in extremely poetic linguistic communication. Elesin states that the market is the place of his spirit and that he has neglected “ his ” adult females, by which he means the market adult females. The Praise Singer states that the adult females will cover him with expensive fabrics because it is a particular twenty-four hours. He coyly asks Elesin if there will be a praise vocalist like him on the “ other side. ” He expresses uncertainty that Elesin will run into the Praise Singer ‘s male parent, and if non he or his male parent, who else can sing the equestrian ‘s workss in such beautiful speech patterns? Elesin tells the Praise Singer that he is like a covetous married woman and that instead than attach toing the equestrian on his journey to the other side, the Praise Singer must stay behind and sing of his award and celebrity to the universe of the life. The Praise Singer promises Elesin Oba that his name will be like a sweet berry on the universe ‘s lingua.

At this, the equestrian bids the Praise Singer to continue with him into the market. The Praise Singer acknowledges that the adult females of the market will botch the equestrian, but he besides warns Elesin to be wary of adult females because excessively much spoilage weakens a adult male. Elesin insists that he will put his caput in the adult females ‘s laps this evening because he wishes to smell the air of the market one more clip before he goes to run into his great forbears.

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The Praise Singer so speaks poetically of the continuity of the civilization and the manner that the universe as they know it will maintain its class. To exemplify this thought, Elesin answers by intoning and executing the narrative of the “ Not-I bird. ” In the narrative of the Not-I bird, Elesin chants that Death comes naming, but the husbandman, the fearless huntsman, the concubine, the pupil, a kinsman, and a courier all deny that they can hear Death ‘s naming, out of fright. Everyone says, “ non I, ” and a bird takes the phrase as its vocal. Elesin chants that the Not-I bird was even heard in the wood when all other animate beings were stooping in fright. The Not-I was a ungratified small bird that Death found nesting in the foliages. Elesin observes that while even the immortal existences were afraid of decease, he entirely had the bravery to state the Not-I bird to travel back to his nest. He explains that he entirely is fearless of Death ; he will non state “ not-I ” to Death when Death comes naming. Elesin tells his ecstatic audience that he is the maestro of his destiny, and when the hr comes, he will dance along the narrow way. He says that his psyche is eager, and that he will non turn aside from the way. During this clip, the assemblage audience has become infected with Elesin ‘s wit and energy. Iyaloja and more market adult females have joined the audience. The adult females inquire him if there is nil that will keep the equestrian back. Elesin affirms that he will near Death confidently because he goes to maintain his friend and maestro, the male monarch, company. He tells the adult females how he and the male monarch shared everything, including nutrient and ideas. The town, the land, the universe itself has been his because of his great relationship to the male monarch. Together, they withstood the besieging of enviousness and the white ants of clip. Elesin proudly tells his audience that life is honor, and life terminals when award ends. The adult females assure him that they know he is a adult male of award. This appears to pique Elesin, who insists that they stop. The adult females are puzzled and nervous, inquiring what they have said that was incorrect. Iyaloja speaks for all the adult females, stating Elesin that they are unworthy and that they ask his forgiveness. The adult females all kneel down. At first, Elesin behaves as if he is excessively insulted to explicate what the adult females have done incorrect, but after some blarney from the Praise Singer, he tells his audience that words are inexpensive. Asking the adult females how should a adult male of award seem, Elesin establishes the visual aspect of humbleness and so laughs at his ain gag. The adult females stand up, relieved, and Elesin indicates that he was merely playing ; the offense was non existent. Happily, Iyaloja directs the adult females to vest the male monarch ‘s equestrian amply, in the fabrics of award, friendly relationship, and esteem. Together, like a chorus, the adult females say they genuinely feared they had wrenched the universe adrift.

While the adult females adorn him in fancy fabrics and dance around him, the equestrian ‘s attending is drawn wing. He announces that the universe is good and that he was born to maintain it so. The adult females affirm that the universe is in his custodies.

At this minute, a beautiful immature miss enters along the market way. Elesin tells the adult females that he embraces the universe and appreciates the farewell the universe has designed. He tells the Praise Singer how great his repute is, and the Praise Singer confirms this by mentioning to the equestrian as a entire. Elesin so asks Iyaloja who the miss is, naming her a goddess. As he describes her beautiful organic structure in the most poetic footings, Iyaloja starts to disrupt him by naming his name. Elesin responds by reminding her that he is still among the life, and inquires once more who the radiant miss is. Iyaloja tells him that the miss already has one measure in her hubby ‘s place. Irritated, Elesin asks her why she must state him that. Iyaloja falls soundless, and the adult females shuffle nervously. Iyaloja placatingly tells Elesin that today is his twenty-four hours and the whole universe belongs to him, but that even those who are about to go forth like to be remembered by what they leave behind. Elesin replies that the considerate traveller likes to cast that portion of his inordinate burden which may profit those left buttocks. He tells the adult females that he deserves a bed of award upon which to lie. He expresses the desire to go lightly and adds that he wants to go forth behind his seed in the Earth of his pick, significance that he wants to kip with the miss before he goes to the universe beyond that of the life. Iyaloja tells the adult females that she dare non decline him this petition. The adult females protest that the miss is betrothed to Iyaloja ‘s ain boy, but Iyaloja reminds them that her boy will make whatever she wishes ; his loss can be easy remedied, but she will non execute the impiousness of denying the honest Elesin his last petition. Iyaloja suspirations and tells the male monarch ‘s equestrian that he ever had a ungratified oculus, but his pick has her approval. She sends some of the market adult females off to fix the miss. But she warns Elesin to do certain that his concluding actions among the life do non gain him their expletives. She announces that she will travel fix his nuptial chamber and so lay out his shrouds. Elesin asks why she must be so blunt and so expresses his desire that his new bride be the one to seal his palpebras and rinse his organic structure when the clip of his decease comes. The adult females bring out the beautiful immature miss, and as she kneels in forepart of the male monarch ‘s equestrian, the visible radiations fade out on the scene.

Analysis

Death and the King ‘s Horseman is set in the Yoruban small town of Oyo in Western Nigeria during World War II. Scene One opens at the hustling market place ; this instantly gay scene establishes the market place as the site of non merely commercialism but besides community and even kinship. The market adult females have a “ Mother, ” Iyaloja, and Elesin refers to all the adult females of the market as his female parents. In this scene, Elesin ‘s repute as a great and honest adult male is revealed, and his immediate hereafter is bit by bit unfolded. The word “ Elesin ” means “ horseman, ” and “ Oba ” means “ king ” -for Elesin Oba, the equestrian of the male monarch, his royal rubric is besides his name. He derives his individuality from his of import cultural function. The male monarch has died, and it is the Elesin ‘s responsibility to follow the male monarch in decease to the universe of the ascendants. The drama begins on the twenty-four hours that Elesin is to decease. He visits the market because it provides him acquaintance and comfort. His character is robust, entertaining, magisterial, and non missing a certain grade of haughtiness. All the adult females treat him with great regard surrounding on fright, as Elesin is followed about by work forces employed entirely in doing music and singing his congratulationss. His function as male monarch ‘s equestrian has such importance to the community that everyone views him as a kind of hero ; Elesin is told repeatedly that the universe is in his custodies, and he replies that he was born to keep the universe as everyone knows it. Elesin is besides shown to be rather cagey, as demonstrated in the complicated narrative of the Not-I bird, every bit good as in his logical thinking for why he should be allowed to “ get married ” the beautiful miss on such an of import dark. It is clear that he feels lecherousness for the miss, but he rationalizes this by explicating that kiping with her will let him to unburden himself of unneeded seed and, at the same clip, profit the community by infusing the miss and go forthing behind more offspring. This scene introduces one of the cardinal motives of the drama: the metaphysical struggle between the person and the community, between private desires and public responsibility. The community depends upon Elesin to carry through his cultural duties as the male monarch ‘s equestrian in order to maintain their universe in balance. The Elesin ‘s selflessness will convey into proper balance the three degrees of being in traditional Yoruban cosmology: the universes of the life, the ascendants, and the not-yet Born. The Elesin ‘s decease will guarantee harmoniousness among these three universes ; therefore, the ritual self-destruction has a regenerative map in keeping the community. This public responsibility comes into struggle with the Elesin ‘s private desire to kip with the beautiful miss, for Elesin ‘s character is besides established as lusty and basking the pleasances of life.

This scene contains two important minutes of boding. Foreshadowing is when something happens that prepares the reader for some future action or event in the drama. The first is when the Praise Singer warns the male monarch ‘s equestrian that he must be careful around adult females for they can destroy ( weaken ) a adult male by botching him. This warning seems to bespeak that Elesin ‘s distraction-his desire to “ get married ” the beautiful girl-might disrupt the rite he plans to take part in subsequently that flushing. Similarly, Iyaloja warns Elesin non to perpetrate any last actions that will do him to lose his award or be remembered severely by the life. This warning intimations that all will non travel every bit swimmingly as planned with the eventide ‘s of import rite. These two minutes of boding suggest that Elesin ‘s “ restless ” and rolling eyes, his attractive force to adult females, may turn out to be non merely his personal ruin ( the loss of award and regard ) but besides the ruin of the full community ( the upsetting of the delicate balance among the universes of the life, dead, and unborn ) .

Elesin ‘s failure has merely partially been repaired and the universe will stay disturbed.

Furthermore, one of the deceases was useless, for the “ Gods demanded merely

tile old expired plantain ” , while the English, by their intercession, have “ cut down the sap-laden shoot ” to “ feed ” their “ pride ” ( DKH, v.219 )

So much for the metaphysical and the threnodic in the drama. As for the colonial

factor, I do believe that nevertheless apolitical the struggle of the drama may be in

its writer ‘s purpose, in the consequence there is much political and anticolonial remark

about it. The information it brings in this regard is non new, but it is the

energy of the rebellion that impresses, the power of opposition, the deepness of unhappiness,

of the desperation and the disdain the African characters express, mentioning to

the Whites ‘ ain values, to their weak points. When Pilkings hesitates to allow the

messenger of Elesin ‘s message to the dead male monarch into his cell, Iyaloja says:

White one, you have a male monarch here, a visitant from your land. We know of his presence

here. State me, were he to decease would you go forth his spirit rolling restlessly

on the surface of the Earth? Would you bury him here among those you consider

less than homo? In your land, have you no ceremonials of the dead?

( DKH, v.214 )

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