In a sleepy little New England village stands a dark, weather-beaten, many-gabled house. This brooding mansion is haunted by a centuries-old curse that casts the shadow of ancestral sin upon the last four members of the distinctive old Pyncheon family. Mysterious deaths threaten the living, while musty documents nestle behind hidden panels carrying the secret of the family's salvation, or its downfall.

Based on events that took place in 1946 in the ancient Yoruban city of Oyo, Soyinka's play addresses classic issues of cultural conflict, tragic decision-making, and the psychological mindsets of individuals and groups. The text of the play is accompanied by an introduction and explanatory annotations for the many allusions to traditional Nigerian myth and culture. "Backgrounds and Sources" helps readers understand Death and the King's Horseman's...