like a slighted cockroach Baroka compares his Favorite wife to a cockroach after she accidentally injures his armpit This statement highlights how little men value women even their wives Female Agency and Resistance Sidi the village belle challenges the traditional views on polygamy Despite societal pressures she initially rejects Baroka's proposal She asserts her desires and independence I am greater than the living god among men Her opposition signifies a changing perspective among women regarding their role in polygamous marriages Clash of Modernity and Tradition The play reveals the clash between modernity and traditional values concerning polygamy Lakunle is a schoolteacher and advocate for Western values He opposes polygamy and aims to modernize the village He represents the clash between traditional practices and modern ideologies Lakunle's anger at Baroka's marriage proposal to Sidi highlights his disgust with traditional marriage culture in Nigeria He finds polygamy unsavory and barbaric in contrast to his idealized monogamy He insults Baroka saying The greedy dog Insatiate camel of a foolish doting race Soyinka's portrayal of African polygamous society in The Lion and The Jewel reveals the real picture of barbaric African society Polygamy is presented in this iconic drama to represent the clash between tradition and modernity