This play makes you realize that there are some cultural traditions that have become traditions for a reason and it would be good to try to understand the values in those traditions regardless of the context you find them in.

Dialogue is particularly well done, using proverbs and set against clash between west and Nigerian culture. Play works best when women given agency and voice, but all gets a bit shadowed despite intended warm sentiment.

3.5

THE LION AND THE JEWEL, is a Nigerian drama.. In this drama we see that Soyinka shows a conflict between
tradition and progress.. He also represents female condition in the society. The play is set in the village of Ilujinle.Sidi is a beautiful lady who stands for *Jewel* in this play and Baroka(Village chief) stands for *Lion* in this play..In this play we also see that virginity and bride price are two important things in Nigerian village.. Soyinka has tried his best to represent the customs and tradition of Nigeria through this play..
At last,I want to say that people who have curiosity to know the unknown country and their culture, they can read it.. I hope you will like it.

So glad I read this play. Clearly written in the style of ancient Greek comedy, but in the setting of rural Nigeria. He manages to evoke the time and place without resorting to stereotypes or cliches, and the culture and characters are incredibly fully realized, considering it's a short, comedic play.

Reading more of the Nobel Laureates plays that I got from the library. I am dismayed I hadn't read him earlier, especially since I studied theatre at a supposedly progressive, academic liberal arts college, but our theatre class syllabi were horribly narrow considering the school. It was frustrating at the time, but even more now that I've learned the sheer numbers of playwrights that we completely ignored. Sigh.

This was a really unusual read. I am not quite sure what to make of it.

Once again, I think the reading experience was never going to match the visual and audio experience of seeing this as a play on stage. There are some interesting parts where characters reenact events in the tribe's history, and where characters do some tribal dancing etc. Those scenes will never be conveyed in print. I also liked how the settings changed from one to the next and would be very curious to see how that is interpretted on the stage.

But visuals aside, (as I only going on imagination here), the plot and the characters kept me very interested in what was happening. I enjoyed the contradictions in speech, particularly with the young teacher, Lakunle. I enjoyed seeing the conflict between tradition and modernity. The idea of modernity is not completely discarded, but it does illustrate how it could damage the land. Yet, saying that, it was the temptation of a modern 'thing' that tempts Sidi, the young female, the jewel, in the play.

The ending threw me, though. I am not sure what Soyinka was trying to say. From my modernised point of view, he only managed to underline a brutish, barbaric act done by the character that symbolised the traditional way. And I am not sure if that is what he intended to do. Maybe I am missing a LOT here.

I read this for English and I thought it was an interesting read. The play itself is an exploration of a multitude of themes including gender roles, traditionalism, marginalization, and colonialism. The amount of content that’s just able to be analyzed is so fascinating and as one of the most popular plays from Africa, it shows a life of African culture through an authentic African lens as we see their perception of modernistic views and western culture. Sometimes the plot would be confusing to follow but I still enjoyed the main characters of the story. Some of the side characters added little to the story and could perhaps be interesting to learn of their own perspective on the story.

(Yeah this is something I read in class but idc)

This drama is one of the best African literary pieces. I had to read this for one of my courses. It the beginning I enjoyed the drama,specially Sidi and Lakunle's conversation. Then gradually the drama went out of the range of my liking. The theme and the plot is great but I felt like it's written more for the critics than a casual reader.
Well,not reading it again after my exam tomorrow.

Enter the Nigerian Shakespeare. Soyinka is a playwright of the highest order. Sarcastic, funny, amazing, and Shakespearian. I was very amazed of how Arabic Nigeria felt. A play about culture, learnedness and intellectuals, leaders of the people, sexual manipulation, and how people choose their wants overall. Soyinka writes excellent prose, and I really couldn't put the play down until the curtains set. Amazing.

Great Book. I like Wole Soyinka's write

Ribald and amusing. No one comes out of this play scot-free. A great lighthearted post-colonial text (rare combination!) that manages to critique and entertain simultaneously. Reminds me a little of The Importance of Being Earnest!

Ive re-read so many times.