Modernity Versus Tradition in Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel: A Critical Analysis

Wole Soyinka has been recognized as one of the most talented of twentieth century playwrights. Nigerian writer Soyinka who wins the Nobel Prize for literature in 1986, always emphasizes his Yoruban roots in plays. His play, The Lion and the Jewel, was published in 1959, just before Nigeria becomes independent and while Nigerians are debating whether to move into the future or leave their past behind. The focus of this paper is to explain how Soyinka uses art of characterization and plot construction to investigate the Nigerian conflict between modernity and tradition.