Both Pilkings and Elesin are proud men who hold important positions in their communities. Contrast and compare these two characters. How are they similar or different? What do their roles reveal about power dynamics and authority within their communities?

What role do women play in Death and the King’s Horseman? How are they portrayed differently from the play’s male characters?

Soyinka has long been an outspoken critic of colonialism, and this is often represented in his work. What does Death and The King’s Horseman say about colonialism? How is the colonial government represented throughout the play?