ander ▁the ▁earth ▁and ▁bring ▁harm ▁to ▁the ▁Y or uba ▁people . ▁The ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁play ▁documents ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁this ▁rit ual , ▁with ▁the ▁pot ent , ▁life - lo ving ▁figure ▁E les in ▁living ▁out ▁his ▁final ▁day ▁in ▁celebr ation ▁before ▁the ▁rit ual ▁process ▁begins . ▁At ▁the ▁last ▁minute , ▁the ▁local ▁British ▁colonial ▁r uler , ▁Simon ▁Pil k ings , ▁interven es , ▁the ▁suic ide ▁being ▁viewed ▁as ▁bar bar ic ▁and ▁illegal ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁authorities . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁play , ▁the ▁result ▁for ▁the ▁community ▁is ▁cat ast roph ic , ▁as ▁the ▁breaking ▁of ▁the ▁rit ual ▁means ▁the ▁dis ruption ▁of ▁the ▁cos mic ▁order ▁of ▁the ▁universe ▁and ▁thus ▁the ▁well - be ing ▁and ▁future ▁of ▁the ▁collect ivity ▁is ▁in ▁doubt . ▁The ▁community ▁bl ames ▁E les in ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁Pil k ings , ▁acc using ▁him ▁of ▁being ▁too ▁attached ▁to ▁the ▁earth ▁to ▁ful fill ▁his ▁spiritual ▁oblig ations . ▁Events ▁lead ▁to ▁tra ged y ▁when ▁E les in ' s ▁son , ▁Ol unde , ▁who ▁has ▁returned ▁to ▁Niger ia ▁from ▁studying ▁medicine ▁in ▁Europe , ▁takes ▁on ▁the ▁responsibility ▁of ▁his ▁father ▁and ▁commits ▁rit ual ▁suic ide ▁in ▁his ▁place ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁restore ▁the ▁honour ▁of ▁his ▁family ▁and ▁the ▁order ▁of ▁the ▁universe . ▁Con sequently , ▁E les in ▁k ills ▁himself , ▁condem ning ▁his ▁soul ▁to ▁a ▁de