The Road
E836789
"The Road" is a play by Nigerian Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka that explores themes of death, fate, and spiritual dislocation through the lives of drivers and drifters on a perilous Nigerian highway.
Statements (50)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
literary work
ⓘ
play ⓘ |
| author | Wole Soyinka NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| characterRole |
Kotonu is a lorry driver haunted by road accidents
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Murano is a mute driver associated with a fatal accident and a masquerade spirit NERFINISHED ⓘ Professor is an ex-seminarian and intellectual obsessed with the meaning of the road and death NERFINISHED ⓘ Salubi is a tout involved in petty schemes NERFINISHED ⓘ Samson is a driver and tout at the motor park NERFINISHED ⓘ Say Tokyo Kid is a driver and ex-boxer NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin | Nigeria NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| creatorNobelPrizeStatus | written by Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka ⓘ |
| dramaticStructure |
non-linear narrative
ⓘ
one-act play ⓘ |
| firstPerformanceLocation | Nigeria NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| genre |
drama
ⓘ
tragedy ⓘ |
| hasElement |
choral songs
ⓘ
dance ⓘ ritual performance ⓘ symbolism ⓘ |
| literaryMovement |
African drama
ⓘ
postcolonial literature ⓘ |
| mainCharacter |
Chief
ⓘ
Kotonu NERFINISHED ⓘ Murano NERFINISHED ⓘ Professor ⓘ Salubi NERFINISHED ⓘ Samson NERFINISHED ⓘ Say Tokyo Kid NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| motif |
Yoruba ritual
ⓘ
accidents ⓘ licence plates ⓘ masquerade ⓘ spirits of the dead ⓘ |
| notableAspect |
explores conflict between traditional beliefs and modernity
ⓘ
uses Yoruba cosmology within a modern dramatic form ⓘ |
| originalLanguage | English ⓘ |
| setting |
Nigerian highway
ⓘ
motor park ⓘ |
| symbol |
licence plates as trophies of death
ⓘ
masquerade as link between living and dead ⓘ the road as a metaphor for life and death ⓘ |
| theme |
corruption
ⓘ
death ⓘ fate ⓘ moral ambiguity ⓘ religion ⓘ spiritual dislocation ⓘ violence ⓘ |
| timePeriodOfSetting | postcolonial Nigeria NERFINISHED ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.