A Dance of the Forests
E836782
A Dance of the Forests is a satirical and allegorical play by Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka that critiques post-independence African society through a complex blend of myth, history, and political commentary.
Statements (48)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
allegorical play
ⓘ
play ⓘ satirical play ⓘ |
| author | Wole Soyinka NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| authorNationality | Nigerian ⓘ |
| commissionedFor | Nigerian independence celebrations ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin | Nigeria NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| criticizes |
abuse of political power
ⓘ
nationalist myth-making ⓘ romanticized view of the past ⓘ |
| dramaticStructure | two-part play ⓘ |
| firstPerformanceDate | 1960 ⓘ |
| genre |
drama
ⓘ
political drama ⓘ postcolonial literature ⓘ |
| hasCharacterType |
ancestors
ⓘ
living townspeople ⓘ spirits ⓘ |
| hasReception |
considered one of Wole Soyinka’s major early plays
ⓘ
noted for its difficulty and complexity in performance ⓘ |
| hasSubject |
collective guilt
ⓘ
failure of leadership ⓘ moral responsibility ⓘ nation-building ⓘ relationship between past and present ⓘ |
| literaryMovement | postcolonialism ⓘ |
| mainTheme |
corruption of political elites
ⓘ
critique of post-independence African society ⓘ cyclical nature of history ⓘ disillusionment after independence ⓘ responsibility of leaders and citizens ⓘ |
| notableFor |
complex blend of myth, history, and political commentary
ⓘ
dense symbolic structure ⓘ experimental theatrical techniques ⓘ |
| originalLanguage | English ⓘ |
| period | post-independence African literature ⓘ |
| premiereCountry | Nigeria NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| premiereLanguage | English ⓘ |
| relatedWork |
Death and the King’s Horseman
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
The Road NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| setting | fictional African community ⓘ |
| timePeriodDepicted |
contemporary post-independence era
ⓘ
various moments in the historical past ⓘ |
| usesElement |
African folklore
ⓘ
Yoruba mythology ⓘ chorus ⓘ historical allegory ⓘ nonlinear narrative ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.