Ghost, Dirge and the Forest Dance in Soyinka’s Metaphysical Play “A Dance of the Forests”

A Dance of the Forests is a metaphysical play that integrates Yoruba ghost-summoning ritual, dirge, and forest dance into its textual creation. This integration transcends the opposition between the living and the dead, facilitating a reenactment of history and a critique of historical injustice. Although considered an obscure play, Soyinka’s A Dance of the Forests is rooted in Nigerian reality, conveying the author’s realistic concern of re-occurrence of historical injustice and the fate of Nigeria in post-independent days.