the lion and the jewel
ABOUT AKINWANDE OLUWOLE SOYINKA (WOLE SOYINKA)
- Born July 13, 1934.
- He was born in Abeokuta, near Ibadan, in western Nigeria.
- He studied at the government college in Ibadan.
- Received a Doctorate at the University of Leeds.
- Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, 1986.
- More ...
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WOLE SOYINKA'S PLAYS
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WOLE SOYINKA'S NOVELS
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WOLE SOYINKA'S POEMS
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SUMMARY
The play is about contrasts; old versus young and culture versus change. It is the story of Sidi, the village belle, and her dramatic 'relationship' with Lakunle, the school teacher. Lakunle is courting Sidi, but refuses to pay the bride price because he views this cultural norm, as well as many other traditional practices of the village, as barbaric. This young suitor is contrasted with Baroka, the Lion. He too courts Sidi, but he maintains the traditions of the village and views progress as something that promotes sameness, or a lack of difference. While Sidi views Lakunle as a bit of a nuisance, she sees Baroka as a challenge. When Sadiku, Baroka's head wife, reveals that Sidi's refusal of Baroka's marriage proposal has broken him, Sidi decides to taunt Baroka, and revel in his defeat, with her knowledge. She returns from this venture defeated, however. The lion had beaten the jewel. Lakunle offers to marry Sidi, despite her lack of virginity, but Sidi refuses and joyfully goes off to marry Baroka, the lion.
The play is about contrasts; old versus young and culture versus change. It is the story of Sidi, the village belle, and her dramatic 'relationship' with Lakunle, the school teacher. Lakunle is courting Sidi, but refuses to pay the bride price because he views this cultural norm, as well as many other traditional practices of the village, as barbaric. This young suitor is contrasted with Baroka, the Lion. He too courts Sidi, but he maintains the traditions of the village and views progress as something that promotes sameness, or a lack of difference. While Sidi views Lakunle as a bit of a nuisance, she sees Baroka as a challenge. When Sadiku, Baroka's head wife, reveals that Sidi's refusal of Baroka's marriage proposal has broken him, Sidi decides to taunt Baroka, and revel in his defeat, with her knowledge. She returns from this venture defeated, however. The lion had beaten the jewel. Lakunle offers to marry Sidi, despite her lack of virginity, but Sidi refuses and joyfully goes off to marry Baroka, the lion.
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SETTING
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THEME
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CHARACTERS
Sidi
Sidi
- She is the belle of Ilujinle.
- This is confirmed by her pictures that were placed in a magazine.
- She is being courted by both Lakunle and Baroka.
- She is very confident about her looks.
- She knows her value, and appreciates her cultural practices, as seen in her refusal to marry Lakunle without the bride price.
- She is a supremely confident young woman who believes that she can taunt the lion without repercussions.
- She is also resilient because she accepts her loss when her taunting of the lion fails, and joyfully starts the wedding process.
- He is the king of Ilujinle.
- He is 62 years old, but still very vibrant.
- He is called the lion, due to his strength and vitality, as well as the fox, due to his cleverness.
- He is a very clever man who is able to get what he wants, as seen in the railway incident.
- He is very articulate and creative, as seen in his verbal parlay with Sidi.
- He believes that progress equates to sameness, but he tolerates it due to its inevitability.
- He is the local school teacher.
- He courted Sidi, but refused to pay her bride price on the grounds that it was a barbaric practice.
- He viewed his African heritage, in general, as lowly and barbaric.
- He dreams of a time when his village will be completely modernized.
- He is infatuated with Sidi.
- Baroka's head wife.
- She delivered Baroka's proposal to Sidi and rejoiced in his defeat.
- She plotted, with Sidi, to taunt Baroka in his moment of defeat.
PLOT
Morning
Sidi passes the school and Lakunle rushes out to speak to her. He reprimands her for carrying water on her head and flip-flops from wooing her one moment to insulting her the next. The reader learns that Sidi is not opposed to marrying Lakunle, but the fact that he refuses to pay her bride price annoys her. Lakunle refuses to pay the bride price because he believes that it is a primitive practice. The villagers, who believe Lakunle is mad, rush to tell Sidi that the strangers have brought the book. She learns that she is the star and that Baroka was given only a small part. The villagers re-enact that first encounter with the stranger, with Lakunle accepting the role of the stranger. He does so unwillingly, at first, then with zeal. Baroka interrupts the re-enactment, and then the audience learns of his intention to marry Sidi.
Noon
Sidi walks, engrossed in her picture in the magazine while being followed by Lakunle. Sadiku approaches them and tells Sidi that Baroka wants her to become one of his wives. She refuses the privilege based on Baruka's age, and the fact that she believes that he is jealous of her fame. Sidi believes that Baroka wants to marry her in order to own her and triumph over her. Lakenle agrees with her assessment and Saduka believes that Lakunle's madness has transferred to Sidi. She then invites Sidi to a small feast or supper, but Sidi refuses this invitation as well. She does so on the basis of the unfavourable rumours that surround 'Baruka's suppers'. Every woman who has supper with Baruka ends up being a wife or a prostitute. We then find out, from Lakunle, why Baruka is referred to as the fox. He deviously prevented a railway from running through the town by bribing the officials in charge. Saduka interrupts Baruka's armpit plucking session, with his favourite wife, with Sidi's rejection. He reacts by going from shocked, to defensive, to resigned. He tells Saduka to keep his defeat a secret between them.
Night
Sadiku dances around a tree, celebrating the fact that the lion, Baruka, is defeated. She shares the secret of Baruka's defeat, at the hands of a woman, and they both rejoice. Lakunle enters and is also made aware of the lion's demise. Sidi wants to flaunt herself before the lion and mock him, but Sadiku warns her of his cunning and Lakunle warns her of his savagery. Sidi ignores the warnings and runs off to mock the lion, and Lakunle is left with Sadiku, who makes derisive comments to him. Sidi enters Baroka's home, but there are no servants to greet her. She enters the lion's bedroom, where he is wrestling with a gentleman. A verbal dance occurs between the two wrestlers, with both of them winning and losing at different points. After Baroka wins his wrestling match, he turns his attention to Sidi and starts to beat her at the verbal game that she initiates. Baroka tells Sidi that he will place her face on a stamp, and relentlessly enlightens her about the advantages of the young learning from the old. She later returns to Lakunle and Sadiku and reports her failed attempt at mocking the lion, as well as her lost virginity. Lakunle offers to marry Sidi, despite the loss of her valuable virginity, but refuses to pay the bride price. She laughs at Lakunle's offer and chooses Baruka, the lion.
Morning
Sidi passes the school and Lakunle rushes out to speak to her. He reprimands her for carrying water on her head and flip-flops from wooing her one moment to insulting her the next. The reader learns that Sidi is not opposed to marrying Lakunle, but the fact that he refuses to pay her bride price annoys her. Lakunle refuses to pay the bride price because he believes that it is a primitive practice. The villagers, who believe Lakunle is mad, rush to tell Sidi that the strangers have brought the book. She learns that she is the star and that Baroka was given only a small part. The villagers re-enact that first encounter with the stranger, with Lakunle accepting the role of the stranger. He does so unwillingly, at first, then with zeal. Baroka interrupts the re-enactment, and then the audience learns of his intention to marry Sidi.
Noon
Sidi walks, engrossed in her picture in the magazine while being followed by Lakunle. Sadiku approaches them and tells Sidi that Baroka wants her to become one of his wives. She refuses the privilege based on Baruka's age, and the fact that she believes that he is jealous of her fame. Sidi believes that Baroka wants to marry her in order to own her and triumph over her. Lakenle agrees with her assessment and Saduka believes that Lakunle's madness has transferred to Sidi. She then invites Sidi to a small feast or supper, but Sidi refuses this invitation as well. She does so on the basis of the unfavourable rumours that surround 'Baruka's suppers'. Every woman who has supper with Baruka ends up being a wife or a prostitute. We then find out, from Lakunle, why Baruka is referred to as the fox. He deviously prevented a railway from running through the town by bribing the officials in charge. Saduka interrupts Baruka's armpit plucking session, with his favourite wife, with Sidi's rejection. He reacts by going from shocked, to defensive, to resigned. He tells Saduka to keep his defeat a secret between them.
Night
Sadiku dances around a tree, celebrating the fact that the lion, Baruka, is defeated. She shares the secret of Baruka's defeat, at the hands of a woman, and they both rejoice. Lakunle enters and is also made aware of the lion's demise. Sidi wants to flaunt herself before the lion and mock him, but Sadiku warns her of his cunning and Lakunle warns her of his savagery. Sidi ignores the warnings and runs off to mock the lion, and Lakunle is left with Sadiku, who makes derisive comments to him. Sidi enters Baroka's home, but there are no servants to greet her. She enters the lion's bedroom, where he is wrestling with a gentleman. A verbal dance occurs between the two wrestlers, with both of them winning and losing at different points. After Baroka wins his wrestling match, he turns his attention to Sidi and starts to beat her at the verbal game that she initiates. Baroka tells Sidi that he will place her face on a stamp, and relentlessly enlightens her about the advantages of the young learning from the old. She later returns to Lakunle and Sadiku and reports her failed attempt at mocking the lion, as well as her lost virginity. Lakunle offers to marry Sidi, despite the loss of her valuable virginity, but refuses to pay the bride price. She laughs at Lakunle's offer and chooses Baruka, the lion.
Contributor: Leisa Samuels-Thomas
Soyinka, Wole. The Lion and the Jewel. UK: Oxford University Press, 1963.
Gill, Richard. Mastering English Literature. New York: Palgrave, 1995.
Soyinka, Wole. The Lion and the Jewel. UK: Oxford University Press, 1962
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bride_price
http://www.academia.edu/4752792/Social_Picture_in_Wole_Soyinkas_The_Lion_and_the_Jewel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance
Soyinka, Wole. The Lion and the Jewel. UK: Oxford University Press, 1963.
Gill, Richard. Mastering English Literature. New York: Palgrave, 1995.
Soyinka, Wole. The Lion and the Jewel. UK: Oxford University Press, 1962
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bride_price
http://www.academia.edu/4752792/Social_Picture_in_Wole_Soyinkas_The_Lion_and_the_Jewel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performance
