The Lion and the Jewel
Wole Soyinka · b. 1934 · Nigeria
Why it matters
The village belle Sidi is wooed by an aging chief and a preening young schoolteacher in a comic contest between tradition's cunning and progress's vanity. Soyinka's most performed and accessible play, a sly comedy about who really holds the power to seduce.
At a glance
dramacomedy
Difficulty 3/10fast pace64 pagesA brisk comic plot and lighter language make this Soyinka's most approachable work.
Where to go next
Wole Soyinka · 1960A Dance of the ForestsLvl 8Slow burn
Wole Soyinka · 1965The InterpretersLvl 8Slow burn
Wole Soyinka · 1973Season of AnomyLvl 8Slow burn
Wole Soyinka · 1975Death and the King's HorsemanLvl 6Medium pace
Ayi Kwei Armah · 1968The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet BornLvl 6Slow burn
Chinua Achebe · 1958Things Fall ApartLvl 4Medium pace