MAN’S DESTINY AND THE AFRICAN RITUAL IN OLA ROTIMI’S THE GODS ARE NOT TO BLAME AND WOLE SOYINKA’S THE STRONG BREED

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MAN’S DESTINY AND THE AFRICAN RITUAL IN OLA ROTIMI’S THE GODS ARE NOT TO BLAME AND WOLE SOYINKA’S THE STRONG BREED

ABSTRACT

Any society irrespective of its cultural and traditional aesthetics, must succumb to the religious proceedings that guides and directs the affairs of man on earth, this is what this study will investigate. The topic Man’s Destiny and The African Ritual portrays the African worldview and the Yoruba society in particular. The mythic and ritual proceedings of the Yoruba world as well as the Yoruba mythology of time and unity will be examined. Man as a central being in the universe, will be viewed in relation to his psyche. The study focuses on the assessable nature of will and the irreversible nature of fate and destiny in the African cosmology. The concept of salvation and the carrier motif will be explored in the course of the study. These points are aptly portrayed in Ola Rotimi’s Gods Are Not To Blame The and Wole Soyinka’s The Strong Breed.

CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION  

1 .1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The origin of socio-political drama and theatre in Nigeria cannot be discussed without consideration of various developments and its general historical events. Nigerian theatre and drama are closely associated with the vast number of traditional ceremonies and religious activities of the people, as well as their ways of life. The roots of contemporary theatre and drama that are situated in the culture and tradition of the people, having their roots in the culture and tradition of the people, evolved and gradually became tools through which the socio-political and economic ills of the society were displayed and addressed in the country. Ogunbiyi (2014:3) explains these roots as follows:

The specific origins of Nigerian theatre and drama are speculative. What is, however, not speculative (…) is the existence, in many Nigerian societies, of robust theatrical tradition. The primitive root of that tradition must be sought in the numerous religious rituals and festivals that exist in many Nigerian communities. For, as an expression of the relationship between man, society and nature, drama arose out of fundamental human needs in the dawn of human civilization and has continued to express those needs ever since, which is to say that Nigerian theatre and drama originated with the Nigerian himself, embodying his first preoccupations, his first struggles, successes, set-backs and all.

It is thus clear that Nigerian theatre and drama have been the consequences of religion, tradition, culture and, most importantly, of artistic expression. Nigerian theatre initially developed as a channel of appeasement by the people to communicate with and maintain relationships with their ‘Creator’ and other lesser gods – the entire pantheon of gods and goddesses – who they believe are in charge of their daily lives.

Western culture and faith have influenced this development as well and became important and integral elements of the country’s theatrical tradition. Consequently, Nigerian theatre and drama became a platform for expression of dissatisfaction against tyranny and other forms of social, political and economic injustice perpetrated over the years; first, by the colonial masters and later, by the civilian administrators as well as the military junta.

Any society irrespective of its cultural and traditional aesthetics, must succumb to the religious proceedings that guides and directs the affairs of man on earth, this is what this study will investigate. The topic Man’s Destiny and The African Ritual portrays the African worldview and the Yoruba society in particular. The mythic and ritual proceedings of the Yoruba world as well as the Yoruba mythology of time and unity will be examined. Man as a central being in the universe, will be viewed in relation to his psyche. The study focuses on the assessable nature of will and the irreversible nature of fate and destiny in the African cosmology. The concept of salvation and the carrier motif will be explored in the course of the study. These points are aptly portrayed in Ola Rotimi’s Gods Are Not To Blame The and Wole Soyinka’s The Strong Breed.

 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

“theatre is a reflection of life” (Inegbe, 2003:1), the theatrical and dramatic performances in Nigeria today still strongly reflect noticeable sentiments of the people in relation to their ancestors or origins. Theatre and drama, specifically among the Yoruba people, have not only metamorphosed to the level of conversations about pertinent sociopolitical issues; it has also helped to preserve some of the important historical and cultural values which have been eroded by Western culture  

Any society irrespective of its cultural and traditional aesthetics, must succumb to the religious proceedings that guides and directs the affairs of man on earth, this is what this study will investigate. The topic Man’s Destiny and The African Ritual portrays the African worldview and the Yoruba society in particular. The mythic and ritual proceedings of the Yoruba world as well as the Yoruba mythology of time and unity will be examined. Man as a central being in the universe, will be viewed in relation to his psyche. The study focuses on the assessable nature of will and the irreversible nature of fate and destiny in the African cosmology.The problem confronting the study is to appraise mans destiny and the african  ritual in ola rotimis the gods  are not blame wole soyinkas the strong breed

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the study is to appraise mans destiny and the african ritual in ola rotimis the gods  are not blame and wole soyinkas the strong breed.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study shall proffer an analysis of  mans destiny and the african  ritual in ola rotimis, the gods  are not blame and wole Soyinka’s the strong breed

1.5 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Most of the issues raised in this work, especially the answers advanced for the research questions, are premised on the theories of reader-response criticism. These theories, according to M.H. Abrams, “have come into prominence since the 1960s and share a common focus on the process of reading a literary text” (256). The theories agree that the meaning of a text is contingent on the reader’s interpretation of the text, and propose various forces that influence the reader’s textual appreciation. Writing on these critical modes, Richard Abcarian and Marvin Klotz state that the theories “focus on the interaction between the work and the reader, holding that, in a sense, a work exists only when it is experienced by the reader” (932). The theories include what Charles Bressler in his book, Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice, identifies as ‘Structuralism’, ‘Phenomenology’ and ‘Subjective Criticism’ (63-69). These theories will be further illustrated later in this work. At any rate the arguments, assumptions and conclusions of this study are mainly premised on the idea that the meaning, quality and value of a play text depend on its interpretation by its critics, the readers, who are conceived as the recipients of the text. Such readers are expected to be competent in reading and using effective critical canons in appreciating the text. Canons, here, refer to such precepts as: The classical theories of Aristotle,The neo-classical theories

;The modernist concepts ;Postmodernism ;Neo-Aristotelian theories ;The structuralist ideals ;Post-structuralism ;Formalism ;Deconstruction ;Freudian psychoanalytic theories ;The Marxist revolutionary theories

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study focuses on the appraisal of mans destiny and the african  ritual in ola rotimis the gods are not blame and wole soyinkas he strong breed

1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study was confronted by logistics constraints.

1.8 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The study adopted the secondary research method through the review of related literature and journals and publications

1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

RITUAL DEFINED

CULTURE DEFINED

culture is a way of life of a group of people–the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next. Culture is symbolic communication.

RELIGION DEFINED

The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.”ideas about the relationship between science and religion”

DESTINY DEFINED

Destiny is defined as your future or the pre-ordained path of your life.

 

MAN’S DESTINY AND THE AFRICAN RITUAL IN OLA ROTIMI’S THE GODS ARE NOT TO BLAME AND WOLE SOYINKA’S THE STRONG BREED

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