logo

45 pages 1 hour read

August Wilson

King Hedley II

August WilsonFiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1985

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Character Analysis

King

Content Warning: This section of the guide describes and discusses the source text’s treatment of racism.

King is a Black American man in his thirties. He has a long scar running down the side of his face, given to him by a man whom he ended up killing in a subsequent fight. He served seven years in prison for that murder and has just been released when the play opens. He is married to Tonya and is the son of Ruby, a former big-band singer. Because Ruby spent so many years on the road, King was raised mostly by Ruby’s aunt Louise, whom he considers to be his true mother.

King is characterized in part by the hopes and dreams he has for the future. At the beginning of the play, he plants a few seeds in a patch of ground that Ruby warns him is too bare to be fertile. Despite her words, King nurtures the seeds through the entirety of the drama. This act is a metaphor for the plans King has for his own future, which is uncertain in his crime-plagued Pittsburgh neighborhood. King, like many men in his position, has few job prospects.

blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
blurred text
Unlock IconUnlock all 45 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,600+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App
+ Printable PDF
+ Literary AI Tools