Published in 1975, the play Death and the King’s Horseman tells the story of the obstacles that Elesin Oba—the king’s horseman—faces on the night he is supposed to commit ritual suicide to follow the recently departed king into the afterlife. Elesin struggles with his commitment to following through with the act, even as the English colonial officer Simon Pilkings also tries to prevent his death. Elesin knows that failure to fulfill his duty could lead to strife for his people, but neither he nor Pilkings are prepared for the consequences of his failure to fulfill his duty.