Like the title suggests, the lion and the jewel is symbolic. The play is set in the village of ilunjinle, nigeria. The lion and the jewel study guide contains a biography of wole soyinka, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Sidi, a beautiful young woman also known as the jewel, carries her pail of water past the school where lakunle, the schoolteacher and a village outsider with modern ideas, works.
The lion and the jewel is a great work to read for its content as well as its ability to entertain its reader. She at first carries the message to sidi that baroka wishes to accept her as a spouse. The lion and the jewel tells the story of sidi, a beautiful young woman living in a remote nigerian village called ilujinle in the early 1960s, who must choose whether to marry lakunle, a forwardthinking but condescending schoolteacher, or baroka, the powerful and manipulative village chief known as. Cultural conflict in wole soyinkas play the lion and the. The lion and the jewel symbols, allegory and motifs. The lion and the jewel, on one level, is a comedy about love. In the beginning of the lion and the jewel, both baroka and sidi seem to be strong supporters of keeping with tradition, while lakunle is the obvious supporter of modernity, seen as he attempts to be a western gentleman by offering to help sidi carry her pail of water. Baroka is anxious enough to make sidi as his wife and here comes the lovetriangle of sidi, lakunle and baroka wherein finally sidi surrenders herself to baroka. The lion and the jewel litcharts from the creators of.
Lakunle is obsessed with sidi and attempts to marry her but does not want to pay the traditional brideprice. Read download the lion and the jewel pdf pdf download. Sidis choice of baroka and the victory of traditional values. Further, the study portrays the standard of african writer wole soyinka. Torn by her love for a handsome aristocrat, this young slave girl clings to her faith in the living god for deliverance from the forces of decadent rome. In the lion and the jewelby wole soyinka, what evidence is.
Sidi has her own reasons for insisting upon the bride price. The plays characters are regularly touted as preposterous in their conduct, loaning an amusing angle to the exchange and the characters. Jan 11, 20 wole soyinkas lion and the jewel acted out by students of wcc, chennai, 2012. In the lion and the jewel by wole soyinka, what evidence is there that sidi views her sexuality as a weapon, men as her opponents, and her virginity as a treasure to be sold only to the highest. Lakunle always believes in a western concept of love.
The lion and the jewel, 61 it is not true that sidi refuses lakunle as if she was in love with baroka from the very beginning. The lion and the jewel is a play by nigerian writer wole soyinka that was first performed in 1959. Sidi and lakunle have an argument because the latter tells the former to change the way she dresses and to stop carrying heavy loads on her neck. Amalgamation of tradition and modernity in wole soyinkas the. He is a suitor for sidi and wants her to be his legally. The lion and the jewel by wole soyinka, 1963 online. No wonder that when lewis carrolls through the lookingglass appeared in 1871, so many readers recognised the great adversaries as the warring lion and unicorn fighting for the crown. The play wires current and customary components of narrating, including yoruban routine, to pass on a message both amusing and genuine. Two characters experience tragedy throughout the play the lion and the jewel. Wole soyinkas the lion and the jewel by the national. The bale is a crafty figure who is used to getting what he wants.
The main characters are sidi the jewel, a true village belle and baroka the lion, the crafty and powerful bale of the village. Sidi enters and demands to know what sadiku is up to. Although baroka, the lion married, he uses some strategy to marry sidi, the jewel. The lion and the jewel tells a funny story involving four main characters. She initially agrees to wed lakunle even though she does not care for him, but she is frustrated that he will not pay her brideprice and that he has so many modern ideas. The lion and the jewel by wole soyinka africa book club. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. His attempt to win the village belle, sidi, through deception is the central focus of the play. This is one of the bestknown plays by africas major dramatist, wole soyinka. Baroka bahrohkah, the bale of ilujinle, the lion in the title of the play. A study of wole soyinkas play the lion and the jewel in the. The lion and the jewel is the most simplest among soyinkas plays, connotes much by.
Jun 10, 2015 a play performed and directed by tesl students in unisel 2015. This 28page guide for the lion and the jewel by wole soyinka includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the lion and the jewel by wole soyinka. It is important that you choose one that meets your budget. As such, the play asks a number of questions about the nature of each sexs power. Amalgamation of tradition and modernity in wole soyinkas. The lion and the jewel essays are academic essays for citation.
The lion and the jewel by wole soyinka tells the story of sidi, a young woman living in an isolated nigerian village in the 1960s, as she decides who to marry. The lion and the jewel focuses on the competition to win sidi s hand in marriage, which makes the play, in a sense, a battle of the sexes. The lion and the jewel themes from litcharts the creators. The following version of this text was used to create this study guide. Wole soyinkas lion and the jewel acted out by students of wcc, chennai, 2012. He loves her lot not only because of her beauty but because of her smartness. Baroka is anxious enough to make sidi as his wife and here comes the love triangle of sidi, lakunle and baroka wherein finally sidi surrenders herself to baroka. The the lion and the jewel quotes below are all either spoken by sidi or refer to sidi. Lakunle is a schoolteacher of the village who is a young man of twentythree years who is bent on bestowing western culture onto the people of ilujinle. It chronicles how baroka, the lion, fights with the modern lakunle over the right to marry sidi, the titular jewel. Baroka, the village chief, who sees modern ideas as a threat to his power.
Sidi is considered as a real jewel, then the play has a comic end with the decision of the playwright wole soyinka who further points out barako as lion, the reason is, barako still stands strongly in. Pdf a study of wole soyinkas play the lion and the jewel in the. Throughout the mummers performance, lakunle and sadiku continue to 5 the lion and the jewel. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. Soyinkas views of modernity and tradition in the lion and.
Due to unforeseen technical difficulties, certain bits seemed to have been magically swallowed up. Sidi is the village belle and the object of lakunle and barokas affection throughout the play the lion and the jewel. Lakunle, the village teacher, is in love with sidi, so also is baroka. The lion and the jewel is a wonderful play that portrays african culture and society and the effects of western civilization upon it. The lion and the jewel was written and first performed the year before nigeria was granted its independence from great britain. Sidi tells him that she will marry him, but only if he pays the brideprice. The play simply goes to show that the lion could always have the power to bend the jewel to its wish. Lakunle is agonising over sidi s long absence, convinced that baroka has killed her. A bit seems to have automatically decided to efface itself from the video.
The play the lion and the jewel is set in typical yoruba village ilujinle which is ruled by an allpowerful old chief baroka. Wole soyinka, african culture, society, character of. Lakunle is portrayed as the civilized antithesis of baroka and unilaterally attempts to. Lakunle, the westerneducated schoolteacher, sees her, runs from his classroom, and takes sidis pail.
How the lion hunts t this is one of the bestknown plays by africas major dramatist, wole soyinka. A play performed and directed by tesl students in unisel 2015. Featured content includes commentary on major characters, 25. The main characters are sidi the jewel, a true village belle and baroka the lion, the crafty and powerful bale of the village, lakunle, the young teacher, influenced by western ways, and sadiku, the eldest of barokas wives. University of lousians undergraduate research journal. Provide a summary of the play the lion and the jewel. The lion and the jewel plot overview freebooksummary. The play starts with lakunle pouring out his heart to sidi but she does not want to pay attention. The balance of power in a view from the bridge and the lion and the jewel. Sidi the jewel a superficial but beautiful young woman in the village of ilujinle, she is coveted by both lakunle and baroka. Pdf the lion and the jewel linda nkandawire academia. A study of wole soyinkas play the lion and the jewel in. Pdf the lion and the jewel the lion and the jewel cypriel. Throughout the mummers performance, lakunle and sadiku continue to 5 the lion and the jewel resource pack bicker.
Sadiku gives a cryptic answer and calls for sidi to join her in the victory dance because every woman. Richard aldous gives us the first modern telling of this dramatic story of an intense and momentous rivalry. The first book in the bestselling mark of the lion series, a voice in the wind brings readers back to the first century and introduces them to a character they will never forgethadassah. The character of sidi in the lion and the jewel from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Pdf a study of wole soyinkas play the lion and the jewel. The main characters are sidi the jewel, a true village belle and baroka the lion, the crafty and powerful bale of the village, lakunle, the young teacher, influenced pdf by western ways, and sadiku, the eldest of barokas wives. Act 1 starts by introducing us to sidi and lakunle. The lion and the jewel questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on the lion and the jewel. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. How the lion hunts the jewel is the theme of this ribald comedy. Ebscohost serves thousands of libraries with premium essays, articles and other content including sidi s choice of baroka and the victory of traditional values over western ones in wole soyinkas the lion and the jewel. Free pdf download since i had no prior service, i had no choice presented. If only lakunle can pay dowry then she would marry him. The lion and the jewel major character analysis freebooksummary.
Both lakunle and baroka wish to marry sidi, but she doesnt act. She resists his advances, saying that she will not marry him until he agrees to pay the brideprice. Cultural conflict in wole soyinkas play the lion and the jewel. Sidi as jewel with reference to wole soyinkas lion and the jewel. But sidi could not make a grasp his modernism means even child bearing as an issue of contempt in the wife. He approaches her and chastises her for carrying her water on her head and stunting her shoulders. Soyinka is one of the foremost contemporary writers and. The strong and young sidi was a threat to barokas traditional and male dominated society.
Out of fear, immediately she utters, heaven forgive you. This village chief is sixtytwo years old, very proud, deceptive, and cunning. The lion and the jewel dramatizes a day in the life of three yoruba villagers in nigeria. A powerful blend of satire, songs and dances in wole soyinka. Baroka is depicted as the lion in the play, while sidi, the. Lakunle, an eager but naive schoolteacher who accepts western ideas and modernity without really understanding them. She resists his advances, saying that she will not marry him until he.
A study of wole soyinkas play the lion and the jewel in the light of cultures in conflict article pdf available november 2016 with 19,882 reads how we measure reads. Linden isles tashandra inniss esther hamer kreative arts keon heywood. The lion and the jewel summary and study guide supersummary. He thinks that sidi is the only person who could understand and support him in is obstacles. The character of sidi in the lion and the jewel from. A school teacher, lakunle, is teaching a class when sidi walks fast carrying a. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the lion and the jewel, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Cultural conflict in wole soyinkas play the lion and the jewel 408 and ever after they live happily. The play begins as sidi, the village belle of ilujinle, enters the square with a pail of water balanced on her head.
Lakunle, a young, arrogant schoolteacher, and baroka, the elderly chief, both vie for the hand of sidi, the jewel of the village. The conflict between the lion baroka and the jewel sidi was a conflict that brought the reader closer to the book. The lion and the jewel the lion and the jewel is a play that moves from act 1 morning to the last act night. The lion and the jewel tells the story of sidi, a beautiful young woman living in a remote nigerian village called ilujinle in the early 1960s, who must choose whether to marry lakunle, a forwardthinking but condescending schoolteacher, or baroka, the powerful and manipulative village chief known as the bale. Pdf pragmatic strategies in soyinkas the lion and the. The play begins as the village belle, sidi, walks past the school as the teacher, lakunle, professes his love for her.
Wole soyinkas the lion and the jewel is a projection of crosscultural counter concerns through the voice of sidi, baroka and sadiku who represent colonized african natives, and lakunle who. A powerful blend of satire, songs and dances in wole soyinkas play the lion and the jewel dr. Pdf a study of wole soyinkas play the lion and the. Celebrating brilliance, originality and spirit in the early works of some of the worlds great playwrights and theatre artists.
The lion and the jewel is a comedy set in the small remote village of ilujinle. Get the entire the lion and the jewel litchart as a printable pdf. Sidi chooses to wed baroka toward the finish of the play, understanding that, as one of his sobriquets demonstrates, he is in fact a lion of a darling. The conflict between sidi and baroka, the towns chief, was also a joy to read about in the play. Moreover, i will admit it solves the problem of her brideprice too.
The status of women in the lion and the jewel the lion and the jewel 1 963 is a play written by wole soyinka, and it is the main stream of this paper. Upon all the contributions of women in the development of the nation n igeria as mentioned before, they are denied socioeconomic and political opportunities. The lion and the jewel characters sidi the village belle laxunle school teacher baroka the bale of ilujinle sadiku his head wife the favourite village girls a wrestler a surveyor. The character of sidi in the lion and the jewel from litcharts the. The lion and the jewel resource pack 5 a brief synopsis and background to the lion and the jewel in the first scene, we meet schoolmaster lakunle outside the village school, trying to woo his beloved sidi, the village beauty. The lion and the gem is a threedemonstration play composed by nigerian writer wole soyinka.
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