Formation of Yoruba Cultural Identity in Soyinka'sDeath and The King's Horseman and TheStrong Breed

Abstract

This thesis studies how Yoruba cultural identity has been formed in Soyinka's Death and the King's HorsemanandThe StrongBreed.The study reveals Soyinka's representation of the contemporary religious condition with the people of Nigeria that relates with Yoruba culture. Soyinka shows the culture which consists the identity of Yoruba religious. The religious' turbulanceis prominent factor in Nigeria which is also known to be the part of Africa inDeath and the King's Horseman. Elesin returns for retaining the culture for the place of his father where he is ready for sacrifice. Similarly, inThe Strong Breed,Eman is exiled from other culture and after returning from other culture, he goes for carriertogive sacrificebeforethatheisbeingexiledin his own culture by saying that native people cannot give bread. Soyinka represents cultural identity with the help ofboth dramas. On one hand, characters arepreserving their native land and showing the glorification of culture on the other hand, it is also about the obsession of sacrifice that points through the activities of Eman and Elesin. For the sake of culture both come from other culture to give the sacrifice. Meanwhile, Elesin was in England when his father named Olunde was fighting with westerners for sacrifice and inThe Strong Breed, the protagonist named Eman was exiled from her own culture and the communityselected Ifada for Breed but Eman fight with the people of that community.