| Pub. Date | : September, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Product Name | : The IUP Journal of English Studies |
| Product Type | : Article |
| Product Code | : IJES60921 |
| Author Name | : Bhupendra Nandlal Kesur and Mukesh Pundalik Patil |
| Availability | : YES |
| Subject/Domain | : Arts & Humanities |
| Download Format | : PDF Format |
| No. of Pages | : 6 |
The characters, subject, setting, and dialogues of Wole Soyinka's play The Lion and the Jewel (1963) represent the varied social and cultural aspects of Nigeria. The play portrays the cultural and social life of Nigerians very accurately. The locale of the play is Ilujinle, a typical Nigerian village. The play is divided into three parts- Morning, Noon, and Night-and the action takes place on a single day, a Sunday. This paper explores the play as a sociocultural document.
This paper explores the sociocultural aspects of Wole Soyinka's play The Lion and the
Jewel. Soyinka, the first African Nobel Laureate in literature, has brought African literature,
especially Nigerian literature, into the limelight with his innovative style of writing. Although
a prolific writer who wrote in almost all genres, he is mostly admired for his contribution
to drama. His plays imbibe the culture and mythology of Africa. Soyinka derives his
themes and plots from the Yoruba cosmology. He exploits Yoruba myths and rituals in his
plays only to consolidate his thematic concerns. He applies Yoruba myths and rituals and
reinterprets them in the present context with their positive and negative connotations.
Through his plays, Soyinka gives a voice to his people. His writings focus on his land,
culture, customs, human and social relations, economic conditions, and the agonies and
anguish of his people. This makes him the conscience of his society.
The Lion and the Jewel: Summary
The locale of Soyinka's play The Lion and the Jewel is a village in Nigeria called Ilujinle.
The play is divided into three parts-Morning, Noon, and Night. The action of the play
takes place on a single day, a Sunday. The play begins with Sidi, a beautiful young girl, the
"jewel" of the village, carrying a pail of water on her head. Lakunle, a westernized school
teacher, approaches her and offers to take the pail from Sidi. He loves Sidi and wants to