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Elesin admits that even he does not understand it. One interpretation is that the intrusion of Simon Pilkings at the crucial point in the ritual was the cause for Elesin’s failure.
This means that Pilkings will never be able to understand why Elesin had to die, even if hesitating was potentially natural. Active Themes Elesin turns to his bride and says that first he blamed Pilkings for his failure, then the gods, but now, he wants to blame her.
Though he blames Pilkings (who arrests Elesin at the moment he tries to die), the gods, and his bride in turn, Elesin eventually admits that he loved life too much and didn't entirely want to die.
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.
She knows that Elesin, not Simon, is at fault for not carrying out his suicide, because he allowed himself to be distracted by the young woman, and Elesin accepts the blame. Iyaloja reveals that she has brought “a burden”: the body of Olunde, who has killed himself in his father’s place.
First off, there's the whole not understanding/wanting to stop Elesin's suicide. Without stopping to consider the significance of the ritual—and what preventing it might mean for the Yoruba—Simon throws all his effort into trying to keep it from going off.
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Why does Elesin's son die before he dies?
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Why did Elesin kill a king?
Why does Elesin change his customs after he dies?
How does Elesin transition from life to death?
Why is Elesin blamed for failing to complete the suicide ritual in Death and the King's Horseman? Quick answer: Elesin’s behavior causes the ritual to be changed. His son takes his...
