Elesin in Death and the King's Horseman

Elesin seems to be a very ironic character in the sense that he is very confident and self-centered, yet he is completing a very selfless act by sacrificing himself for the better of his tribe. Perhaps this is because his suicide has been set into his culture and because to Elesin killing himself is not his choice because it is something he must do: his duty to his tribe. Elesin demands to have another beautiful wife before he commits suicide, despite the fact that she is already promised to Iyaloja's son. This shows that Elesin cares little about other people and how his actions affect other people, but him committing suicide shows that he does care for other people (his tribe). Elesin is known to be very noble in his tribe and the praise-singer refers to him as an honorable man, perhaps because of how well people refer to him, he has gotten overly confident. It seems as though Elesin is mainly selfish, with the exception of one, very large selfless act he is meant to commit. The question of whether Elesin will actually commit the suicide will be unveiled later in the play, which will be very interesting to find out.

Comments

  1. UnknownNovember 16, 2017 at 4:32 PM

    Camille,

    I have also been thinking about the contrast between Elesin’s selfless role and his narcissistic behavior. As you mentioned, it seems that he views his obligation to his tribe as something that places him above all of the other characters: his responsibility towards the deceased king lies in the next life, while in the present he is able to take advantage of his elevated position. This, anyone can see, is quite the opposite of “noble.” We may not understand why anyone would be willing, even enthusiastic, to be the center of attention in this ceremony, but we cannot help recognizing that the ability to be in control of one’s fate seems to hold a certain appeal. All of the other characters in the tribe must watch idly by while British colonialism destroys their culture, but Elesin Oba takes on a very active struggle to preserve the only lifestyle he knows.

    In this way, the “over-confidence” that you referred to mirrors that of Simon Pilkings and the other British colonialists. Both groups try desperately to force the world into alignment with their views of goodness and justice, and from the perspectives of an onlooker (the audience), they appear excessively absorbed in their own desires. Of course, this does not excuse Elesin and Simon’s lack of concern for others, but it offers an explanation for the prevalence of self-righteousness in the play.

    Ben

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