August Wilson's Century Cycle -- King Hedley

King Hedley II opens with the death of the ancient sage Aunt Ester, introduced in Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean. In keeping with Wilson’s merging of the real and the mystical, Stool Pigeon announces she “died with her hand stuck to her head,” symbolizing the pain and sadness she’s witnessed over her 366 years. The madman, like his forbears in classical theater, was predicting that Ester’s sudden death was signaling even greater tumult. King and Mister, in particular, would be caught up in the maelstrom.