Artistic License in Soyinkaў¦s Death and the Kings Horseman

Natasha Z. Johnson

English 210

Professor Despres

1 April 2007

Artistic License in SoyinkaЎ¦s

Death and the KingЎ¦s Horseman

The author of Death and the KingЎ¦s Horseman, Wole Soyinka, has vehemently insisted that his play is one of metaphysics rather than one of politics. The insistence of postcolonial readers and critics that art cannot transcend history has led to Soyinka having to defend and explain his work in addition to trying to control the reception of his work. The colonial incident in Death and the KingЎ¦s Horseman is incidental to the playЎ¦s literary importance and artistic meaning, because Soyinka could have used numerous other circumstances or events as a foundation for his play and the artistic meaning would have been the same.

Artists are allowed artistic license. The area of focus or subject of art is decided by the artist. Using historical events and changing the details to make a specific point is one of many ways in which authors use their artistic license. Soyinka admits in the authorЎ¦s notes for the play, Death and the KingЎ¦s Horseman, that he took certain liberties with the historical event used as the backdrop of his play. He states:

The changes I have made are in matters of detail, sequence and of course characterisation. The action has also been set back two or three years to while the war was still on, for minor reasons of dramaturgy.

The factual account still exists in the archives of the British Colonial Administration. (3)

Therefore, after having read the authorЎ¦s notes, the reader of the play, regardless of his or her