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The Praise-Singer
Amusa is a native Nigerian man who converted to Islam several years before the action of the play. He serves under Pilkings as a police officer for the English colonizers. Despite being a Muslim, Amusa still has strong ties to the native culture and religion; for example, he cannot bring himself to look at or speak to Pilkings and Jane when he finds them in the egungun costumes. He's easily offended and seems insecure in his role as a policeman tasked with policing the local population. He threatens violence against Iyaloja and the other women in the market when they mock him and refuse to let him arrest Elesin.
Sergeant Amusa Quotes in Death and the King’s Horseman
The Death and the King’s Horseman quotes below are all either spoken by Sergeant Amusa or refer to Sergeant Amusa. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 2
Quotes
Pilkings: Nonsense, he's a Moslem. Come on, Amusa, you don't believe in all this nonsense do you? I thought you were a good Moslem.
Amusa: Mista Pirinkin, I beg you sir, what you think you do with that dress? It belong to dead cult, not for human being.
Pilkings: Oh Amusa, what a let down you are. I swear by you at the club you know—thank God for Amusa, he doesn't believe in any mumbo-jumbo. And now look at you!
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Jane: But Simon, do they really give anything away? I mean, anything that really counts. This affair for instance, we didn't know they still practised the custom did we?
Pilkings: Ye-e-es, I suppose you're right there. Sly, devious bastards.
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Act 3
Quotes
Amusa: The chief who call himself Elesin Oba.
Woman: You ignorant man. It is not he who calls himself Elesin Oba, it is his blood that says it. As it called out to his father before him and will to his son after him. And that is in spite of everything your white man can do.
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- One might even say, difficult?
- Indeed one might be tempted to say, difficult.
- But you do manage to cope?
- Yes indeed I do. I have a rather faithful ox called Amusa.
- He's loyal?
- Absolutely.
- Lay down his life for you what?
- Without a moment's thought.
- Had one like that once. Trust him with my life.
- Mostly of course they are liars.
- Never known a native to tell the truth.
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Then tell him to leave this market. This is the home of our mothers. We don't want the eater of white left-overs at the feast their hands have prepared.
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Sergeant Amusa Quotes in Death and the King’s Horseman
The Death and the King’s Horseman quotes below are all either spoken by Sergeant Amusa or refer to Sergeant Amusa. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 2
Quotes
Pilkings: Nonsense, he's a Moslem. Come on, Amusa, you don't believe in all this nonsense do you? I thought you were a good Moslem.
Amusa: Mista Pirinkin, I beg you sir, what you think you do with that dress? It belong to dead cult, not for human being.
Pilkings: Oh Amusa, what a let down you are. I swear by you at the club you know—thank God for Amusa, he doesn't believe in any mumbo-jumbo. And now look at you!
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Explanation and Analysis:
Jane: But Simon, do they really give anything away? I mean, anything that really counts. This affair for instance, we didn't know they still practised the custom did we?
Pilkings: Ye-e-es, I suppose you're right there. Sly, devious bastards.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 3
Quotes
Amusa: The chief who call himself Elesin Oba.
Woman: You ignorant man. It is not he who calls himself Elesin Oba, it is his blood that says it. As it called out to his father before him and will to his son after him. And that is in spite of everything your white man can do.
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- One might even say, difficult?
- Indeed one might be tempted to say, difficult.
- But you do manage to cope?
- Yes indeed I do. I have a rather faithful ox called Amusa.
- He's loyal?
- Absolutely.
- Lay down his life for you what?
- Without a moment's thought.
- Had one like that once. Trust him with my life.
- Mostly of course they are liars.
- Never known a native to tell the truth.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Then tell him to leave this market. This is the home of our mothers. We don't want the eater of white left-overs at the feast their hands have prepared.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
