The Lion and the Jewel

The Lion and the Jewel is a play by Wole Soyinka first performed in 1959. It chronicles how Baroka, the lion, fights with the modern Lakunle over the right to marry Sidi, the titular Jewel. Lakunle is portrayed as the civilized antithesis of Baroka and unilaterally attempts to modernize his community and change its social conventions for no reason other than the fact that he can.

Characters

• Baroka - The Baalè or reigning chieftain of Ilujinle, a Yoruba village in the realm of the Ibadan clan. A crafty individual, he is the Lion referred to in the title.
• Lakunle - The progressive and absurdly arrogant teacher.
• Sidi - A beautiful, yet somewhat egotistical village girl who is wooed by both Baroka and Lakunle. She is the Jewel in the title.
• Sadiku - The sly chieftess of the Baalè's harem.

References

• Wole Soyinka Encyclopædia Britannica
• Taubman, Howard (April 18, 1965) "A Nigerian Looks At 'Progress'" The New York Times

Soyinka urges the theme of the corrupted African culture and he also emphasizes on how the youth should embrace the original AFRICAN culture.