The Emperor Jones

The opening scene in The Emperor Jones introduces the protagonist, Brutus Jones, and the power and dominion he has over the inhabitants of a Caribbean island. In Scene 1, Jones’s interactions with Henry Smithers reveal his transformative journey From Subject to Sovereign. His past experiences in subservient roles fueled his desire to ascend to a position of power. Jones’s decision to murder his Pullman porter colleague, Jeff, over a dispute in a dice game is an early manifestation of his willingness to eliminate obstacles to power. During his time in prison, his thirst for control intensifies. His attack on a guard and escape from prison illustrate his ability to manipulate circumstances to his advantage. Jones’s capacity for violence later proves crucial in his quest for dominance, shaping his leadership and governance and revealing The Insidious Nature of Power.

Jones is portrayed as a cunning and manipulative figure who has created a godlike persona based on deception. Central to this persona is the myth of The Silver Bullet, a narrative Jones has woven to maintain unchallenged control over the islanders. Upon his arrival, he recognizes the opportunity to exploit the locals’ beliefs. Crafting a myth around his invincibility, Jones manipulates their fears to establish absolute submission. The islanders readily accept his story, and in their awe and terror, they prostrate themselves before Jones (“Dey falls down and bumps deir heads” (156)), much like the Old Native Woman in Scene 1. She refers to him as “Great Father” and bows her head even in his absence, immediately establishing Jones’s power over his subjects.

However, the symbol of Jones’s rise to power also presages his downfall. By including the silver bullet as a lucky charm in Jones’s revolver, Eugene O’Neill foreshadows the ironic ending of his rule: “I has de silver bullet moulded and I tells ’em when de time comes I kills myself wid it” (156). While Jones doesn’t use the silver bullet on himself as he had planned, the islanders eventually do in a moment of poetic justice.

In Scene 1, Henry Smithers’s demeanor showcases the complex interplay of subordination, manipulation, and contempt that marks his relationship with Jones. While in the presence of the Old Native Woman, Smithers openly ridicules Jones’s self-proclaimed royal title. Upon learning of the locals’ planned revolt, he feels vindicated in his belief that Jones’s kingship is fundamentally illegitimate due to his race: “Serve ’im right! Puttin’ on airs, the stinkin’ n*****! ’Is Majesty! Gawd blimey! I only ’opes I’m there when they takes ’im out to shoot ’im” (150). As a white colonialist, Smithers perceives himself as inherently superior to both the islanders and Jones; therefore he views Jones’s ascent to power as a direct challenge to his own position on the island. He repeatedly uses the n-word to refer to both Jones and the islanders, asserting through his language his own desire for dominance. Smithers’s contempt for Jones’s authority is ultimately rooted in his own thirst for power.

When Jones enters the scene, Smithers’s demeanor immediately changes. In an implicit acknowledgment—and fear—of Jones’s power, Smithers refrains from direct confrontation. Instead he conceals his wishes to undermine Jones’s rule and becomes subservient, even supporting Jones when it serves his interests. His opportunistic nature becomes even more evident as he prepares to loot the palace following Jones’s departure. His actions at the end of Scene 1 highlight the intricate power dynamics at play on the island and foreshadow Smithers’s eventual shift in allegiance from Jones to the Indigenous islanders.

Scene 2 marks the beginning of Jones’s downfall. Feeling weary, he stands on the sandy, level ground, examining his “feverish” feet. But even before entering the forest, Jones is already aware that “de worst is yet to come” (168). As he journeys through the forest, his physical deterioration will only grow more prominent, symbolizing the unraveling of his carefully crafted facade. As his clothes fall apart, so too does the illusion of his invincibility and dominance.

Scene 2 also introduces the theme of Guilt, Fear, and the Fractured Psyche, hinting at the profound psychological challenges Jones will face during his journey through The Forest, a landscape of real and imagined dangers. In this scene, Jones begins to question his own perception of reality, which foreshadows his later struggles with hallucinations. His fears, here personified in the formless creatures that greet him at the edge of the eerie forest, blur the line between reality and illusion, while the rhythmic tom-tom drumbeat is a constant reminder that the islanders are near.