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Death And The Kings Horseman

            With a society that embraces labels and stereotypes it is often hard to categorize an entire nation of people. Yet the British colonies were so apt to regard the African people as savage and barbaric that they looked upon them with a superior ignorant complex. They did not understand their culture and regarded their beliefs and customs as magical and sacrilegious. This regard did not stem from a hostile origin; they just did not understand what they didn't know. The truth of the matter is that they had no wish to understand or comprehend worlds and ways outside their realm. In the play Death and the King's Horseman, by Wole Soyinka, two characters embody the average viewpoint of the British towards the African people of Nigeria in 1946. Jane and Simon Pilkings allow for the reader to look through British eyes and somewhat understand their viewpoints toward the natives and their customs.
             The reader is introduced to these two characters in Act two of the play. They are dancing around their verandah dressed in an African ancestral masquerade called an egungun. This costume holds great importance to the African people and is regarded with respect. The fact that Jane and Simon are parading around their house dancing in this dress shows their lack of regard to the African beliefs; they find it amusing and fascinating. They plan on wearing it to the ball later that evening which shows that they look upon it as a costume with no significance what so ever. Amusa, a converted African who serves the British on the police force, has an interesting reaction to the costume. He says it belongs to the death cult and that it should not be taken lightly. While he is a converted Muslim he still has respect for his people's customs and does still possess an element of fear towards the costume. This is the first impression the reader is given of these characters and an automatic stereotype is given to them as self-absorbed ignorant people.


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