Chapter One — 1.1 Background to the Study

Scholarly interest in Wole Soyinka'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 satire as a stylistic device in service of post-colonial disillusionment receiving comparatively less sustained attention.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

While Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman is widely studied, there is no settled critical consensus on how its satire functions specifically in relation to post-colonial disillusionment. This study undertakes a close textual analysis to address that gap.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the use of satire in Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman.
2. To analyze how satire contributes to the portrayal of post-colonial disillusionment.
3. To assess the effectiveness of satire 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 satire used in Wole Soyinka's Death and the King's Horseman?
2. In what ways does satire contribute to the portrayal of post-colonial disillusionment?
3. How effective is satire 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 Wole Soyinka'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 satire within Death and the King's Horseman, reflecting a MSc-level scope; it does not extend to a full survey of the author's other works.