Wole Soyinka

Running Head : Wole Soyinka

Wole Soyinka

Name

School /University

Professor

Class

Introduction

Akinwande Oluwole Wole ' Soyinka is an award winning poet , writer and playwright with Nigerian roots . He was born on July13 , 1934 and was honored with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986 . He brought honor and prestige to his native land , Africa by being the first African to have won the award . Due to his respectable reputation in Nigeria , he sought to be of aid at the impending Civil War by communicating to the nation

's leaders although he failed and was subjected to imprisonment of 22 years . Even in prison , Wole did not stop writing and produced distinctive plays such as The Lion and the Jewel and The Trials of Brother Jero , among many others (Wole Soyinka , n .d

Body

The Lion and the Jewel was first seen in London theatres in 1959 . It talks about the three main characters of Sidi (the village jewel Lakunle (the educated suitor ) and Baroka (the Lion /direct opposite of Lakunle . Lakunle is an elderly professor who hopes to win Sidi 's hand while competing for it with Baroka , the village chief . The play is written by highlighting the day to day activities of African villagers such as Lakunle trying to carry loads for Sidi , and Sidi flirting with a travel photographer in to pose for a magazine . The roots of African theatre are highly taken from day to day activities , which can be compared to this play of Soyinka...