First published in 1688, “Oroonoko” follows the tragic love story of Oroonoko, an African prince, and his beloved Imoinda. When the king hears of Imoinda’s beauty he demands that she become one of his wives, giving her a sacred veil, thus forcing her to become a member of his harem. Oroonoko, believing that the king is too old to consummate their marriage, secretly plans a romantic rendezvous with Imoinda, an action which consequently results in the two being sold into slavery. After travelling to Surinam, an English colony at the time, Oroonoko is surprisingly reunited with Imoinda. The two live together as husband and wife under their slave names of Caesar and Clemene. Imoinda becomes pregnant and the two petition their master to be returned to their homeland. When their request is denied, Oroonoko plans a slave revolt, an action when ultimately leads to the novel’s tragic conclusion. A compelling and sympathetic novel, “Oroonoko” is regarded as one of the earliest of English novels, which was immensely popular in its time and shone an important light on the brutality of slavery in the English colonies.
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