The Beauty of Character and the Character of Beauty

This comparative study explores ethical aesthetics in Yorùbá and Greek storytelling by analysing Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman and Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex through the Yorùbá concept of Ìwàlẹwà (“character is beauty”) and the Greek triad of beauty, goodness, and truth. By examining how these frameworks intertwine beauty with moral character, the paper challenges modern aesthetic theories that separate ethics from aesthetics. It argues that the beauty of storytelling emerges from ethical reflection, offering insights for contemporary narratives, including AI-generated content. This cross-cultural analysis contributes to philosophical aesthetics by highlighting beauty as an ethical achievement rooted in cultural values.