Vol. 4, No. 2 January (2026)

The paper carried out Systemic Functional Linguistic Analysis of Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and
the Jewel. Halliday’s (1994) Meta functions of language are used as bases for the analysis of the
data. The data are the dialogues selected from the play. The data is presented and analyzed
according to the three Meta functions. It reveals how Lakunle’s use of register portrays him as a
voice of modernity and his alienation from the community. It also reveals that Baroka is the
custodian of tradition and a master of manipulation. Furthermore, it reveals that Sidi’s role in
the play shifts. Additionally, it reveals how language shapes social reality, reflects power
dynamics and negotiates meaning in a postcolonial context. It concludes that the analysis
deepens our understanding of Soyinka’s play. It also concludes that Meta functions remain a
powerful analytic model indicating how language encodes social, cultural and ideological
meanings in literary texts.