eman ' s ▁own ▁conv iction ▁toward ▁suic ide ▁into ▁question , ▁pos ing ▁a ▁problem ▁that ▁throws ▁off ▁the ▁community ' s ▁balance . ▁ ▁So y ink a ▁wrote ▁the ▁play ▁in ▁Cambridge , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁fellow ▁at ▁Church ill ▁College ▁during ▁his ▁political ▁ex ile ▁from ▁Niger ia . ▁He ▁has ▁also ▁written ▁a ▁pre face ▁to ▁the ▁play , ▁explaining ▁what ▁he ▁sees ▁as ▁the ▁greatest ▁mis con ception s ▁in ▁understanding ▁it . ▁In ▁particular , ▁he ▁says ▁that ▁the ▁play ▁should ▁not ▁be ▁considered ▁as ▁" cl ash ▁of ▁cult ures ." ▁R ather , ▁the ▁play ▁demonstr ates ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁interaction ▁between ▁African ▁and ▁European ▁cult ures , ▁as ▁per ▁So y ink a ' s ▁post - B ia fran ▁cultural ▁philosophy . ▁ ▁Plot ▁Death ▁and ▁the ▁King ' s ▁H ors eman ▁builds ▁upon ▁the ▁true ▁story ▁on ▁ ▁which ▁So y ink a ▁based ▁the ▁play , ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁E les in , ▁the ▁King ' s ▁H ors eman ▁of ▁the ▁title . ▁According ▁to ▁Y or uba ▁tradition , ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁the ▁king ▁must ▁be ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁rit ual ▁death ▁of ▁the ▁king ' s ▁hors eman ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁king ' s ▁dog ▁and ▁horse , ▁because ▁the ▁hors eman ' s ▁spirit ▁is ▁essential ▁to ▁helping ▁the ▁chief ' s ▁spirit ▁asc end ▁to ▁the ▁after life . ▁ ▁Otherwise , ▁the ▁king ' s ▁spirit ▁will ▁w