Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Scholarly interest in Ola Rotimi's Death and the King's Horseman has remained strong, reflecting its continued relevance to discussions of Nigerian and African literary identity.

Existing criticism of Death and the King's Horseman tends to focus on its broader thematic concerns, with dramatic irony as a stylistic device in service of gender roles receiving comparatively less sustained attention.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While Ola Rotimi's Death and the King's Horseman is widely studied, there is no settled critical consensus on how its dramatic irony functions specifically in relation to gender roles. This study undertakes a close textual analysis to address that gap.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the use of dramatic irony in Ola Rotimi's Death and the King's Horseman.
2. To analyze how dramatic irony contributes to the portrayal of gender roles.
3. To assess the effectiveness of dramatic irony as a stylistic/thematic tool in the text.
4. To situate the findings within the broader context of Nigerian literary/linguistic scholarship.

1.4 Research Questions

1. How is dramatic irony used in Ola Rotimi's Death and the King's Horseman?
2. In what ways does dramatic irony contribute to the portrayal of gender roles?
3. How effective is dramatic irony as a stylistic/thematic tool in the text?
4. How does this reading relate to the broader body of Nigerian literary/linguistic scholarship?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study is significant to students and teachers of theatre arts, offering a close reading of Ola Rotimi's Death and the King's Horseman that can support classroom discussion and further critical work. It also contributes to the broader body of scholarship on Nigerian literary and linguistic studies.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study is limited to a close textual analysis of dramatic irony within Death and the King's Horseman, reflecting a BSc-level scope; it does not extend to a full survey of the author's other works.