The Lion And The Jewel

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The author (professor wole soyinka)

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The Lion and the Jewel is my favourite novel which is a play by Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka, he performed the play in Ibadan in 1959. After being staged in Nigeria, it continued in London in 1966 at the Royal Court Theatre

The play spots on the Sidi (the jewel), who is a young beautiful village girl, whether she will marry Baroka (the lion) who is the village chief, or marry Lakunle, a westernized young teacher in the village. Lakunle doubts in traditional village customs that is why he does not want to pay a bride price for Sidi. He tries to use a more modern way to convince sidi to marry him because there is a way he sees modern view of women and marriage.

Baroka, already has many wives and concubines and for the past 5 months he haven't taken up anew wife, he is therefore captivated by the beauty and youth of Sidi. He once tricks her into coming to his house and rapes her. She agreed to marry the chief after this because no man would marry her after that as she is no longer a virgin according to their tradition. The play is simply about an African village struggling with its ancient traditions and practices, but yet are not ready to embrace more modern life choices and suggestions.

Here are some main characters in the play and their characteristics also;

Sidi: Sidi is a young beautiful woman whose photographs were currently featured in a magazine.

Baroka: He is an elderly leader of Ilujinle. After seeing Sidi’s photographs, he get's attracted and wants to marry her.

Lakunle: He is a straight forward-thinker but generally hapless schoolteacher. He wants to marry Sidi but refuses to pay her bride price because of his belief that it is a demeaning practice which he wanted to enforce on Sidi.

Sadiku: Sadiku is Baroka’s first wife and personal matchmaker. She developed hatred and conspires with Sidi to humiliate Baroka after discovering his alleged impotence generally.

I will sure like to recommend this work to everyone of us because it teaches us a lot. It helps us to know the reason why we need to choose and decide what we want and more other lessons

IF YOU HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE ANY CHANGE TO THE STORY OF THE NOVEL, WHAT WOULD IT BE, AND WHY?

I would have loved to change the part when baroka got sidi and raped her. That part touches me the most and sincerely speaking, if i were to be in the novel, i would have prevented that rape which happened.

Conclusion

Things are not to be done by force rather you take them swiftly and in a loyal manner. The way baroka got to have his way easily into Sidi is so painful even though he persuaded her for a good reason which turned out to be for evil. It always good to be wise and mindful of our ways.