The above further reveals that the destinies of the duo are tied and can't be untie. : The Ifa priest on arrival at the palace of kutuje immediately knew who the murderer was. Each chapter will include a brief sketch of the authors life, a resume of the plays, and the development of major and minor characters. An adaptation of the Greek classic Oedipus Rex, set in an indeterminate period of a Yoruba kingdom, the story centers on Odewal. In 1966 he obtained an MA from Yale School of Drama, where he earned the distinction of being a Rockefeller Foundation scholar in playwriting and dramatic literature. : Odewale narrated the story of how he killed a man who insulted the homeland he came from by calling them a bush tribe, while also attempting to steal from his farmland. Hazel (his wife) died and Ola Rotimi returned from her funeral in the US to the dream home they built in Ile Ife, only to die in it from heart failure two months later. He had worked so hard here. Instead of legal jargon, there is humour, arguments and counter arguments. (1979) If: A Tragedy of the Ruledin If, the young firebrand Hamidu is nowhere to be found when a real commitment is required. I LEARN ONE BASIC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AFRICAN TRADITIONAL NORMS AND THAT OF THE WESTERN WORLD WHICH IS AFRICANS BELIEVE THAT ONES DESTINY IS DECIDED BY THE GODS BUT THE WESTERNERS BELIEVE YOU MAKE YOUR OWN DESTINY WHICH I BELIEVE IS TRUE. In the above context of the gods are not to blame, the person who made this statement is alleging that King Adetusa _____. People made dramatic entry and exit to the stage around his casket with the man turning his casket. Rotimi is sure to be remembered as a model in the literary genre whose views have shaped the conduct of the theatre and whose plays have demonstrated the power of drama to shape the thinking of the society and attempted to solve some of the problems encountered in everyday living. Odewale made a vow to pluck out the killers eyes and then banish him away from the land. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at. [9][10] It was nominated for an award at the ESB Dublin Fringe Festival 2003. Abstract. On Kindle Scribe. Diminutive in size but a giant in drama in Africa, he was one of the best things that could have happened to the literary community. if Gbonka had killed him in the bush as an infant, the curse would have been averted. Consulter l'avis complet. Who is to blame in the turn of events?This exciting and thought provoking play runs for 100 minutes is brought to the stage by the THESPIAN Family Theatre \u0026 Productions and our worthy sponsors who share in our dreams. Simply suggest, the use of language is part of culture. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. In an attempt to avert the curse, he ran away from his adoptors, Ogundele and his wife Mobike whom he thought to be his parents at that time. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. The self-styled 'Apostle' of the Destiny Church made the comments just days after the storm hit, dedicating a sermon to the topic and . Focusing on the Yoruba tradition, Ola Rotimi spotlights Yoruba gods, giving Sango, Orunmila, Ifa, and Ogun prominent roles throughout the book as King Odewale, King Adetusa (Odewales father), Queen Ojuola (Odewales mother), Aderopo (Odewales brother), the Chiefs and other characters in the book refer to them often. The King expresses sympathy to the townspeople for the illness that has been plaguing them. The Epilogue: Two unpublished plays of Ola Rotimi. He named him Odewale. The Gods Are Not To Blame is a 1968 play and a 1971 novel by Ola Rotimi. Baba Fakunle tells him that the source of the kingdom's ails lay with him. Are his parents able to thwart the heavy sentence pronounced on them from the world beyond? Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2018, Good historical novel by a great writer. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period. It was also to recognise his contributions to Nigerian as well as world literature. Scholar Odebunmi says, the concept of this is to understand referring to the actual context of a word said in a play (dialogue) has developed similarities with speech and how it works in culture. Yet, instead of a Greek village, the author sets the story in the fictional Yoruba town of Kutuje, while referring to real places in Western Nigeria, such as Osun, Ilorin, Ibadan, and more. Odewale banishes Aderopo from the kingdom. King Odewale's progress towards knowledge of the murder and incest that must be expiated before his kingdom can be restored to ealth is unfolded with a dramatic intensity heightened by the richness of the play's Nigerian setting. Alaka clearly recognized him but he could not recognize Alaka. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Rotimi was the son of Samuel Gladstone Enitan Rotimi a Yoruba steam-launch engineer (a successful director and producer of amateur theatricals)and Dorcas Adolae Oruene Addo an Ijaw drama enthusiast. [2] Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2014. The two plays were probably meant as an epilogue to both Rotimi's theatrical and comic careers, which span the entire spectrum of his career. Tororo, Tororo, Roro is a coincidental meeting of two fellows from Man Talk, Woman Talk, Tunji Oginni and Philomena James. Rotimi often examined Nigeria's history and local traditions in his works. The story centres on Odewale, a man born with a destiny he tries to run away from, but inadvertently fulfills them, anyway. [3] This article focuses specifically on the 1968 play. Get help and learn more about the design. One finds that their roles compared to King Odewale's serve as a primary example of the social aspect. The Gods Are Not to Blame is influenced by Yoruba and Yoruban culture. Later plays, such as If: A Tragedy of the Ruled (1983) and Hopes of the Living Dead (1988), premiered at the University of Port Harcourt and was a common play in OAU Drama Department. , X-Ray The novel is set in an indeterminate period of a Yoruba kingdom. It is comical and the language used is a version of "Nigerian English" (for example: "Se you get?" Aderopo is also accused of spreading the rumor that Odewale was the one who murdered the old king, Adetusa. Please like and follow our official facebook page here for great educational write-ups. He comes to Kutuje to tell Odewale that the man he called father had passed two years prior and that his mother, though old, was still in good health. He is found and picked up by a farmer hunter Ogundele and raised by him along with his wife Mobe. Similar in nature to the Greek play, Oedipus Tyrannus his royal parents receive a prophecy from Baba Fakunle that Odewale would grow up to kill his parents. The second and third chapters deal with the plays of each playwright: Oedipe by Andre Gide and The Gods Are Not to Blame by Ola Rotimi. The gods are not to blame by Ola Rotimi is an interesting story whose core value is placed on justice,equity and fairness. The novel is set in an indeterminate period of a Yoruba kingdom. After two years have passed, Obatala, the god of creation made the queen of kutuje conceive again, and this time she gave birth to another male child which the royal family named Aderopo. His father father does to Odewale what European colonizers did to Africa. [5] He says that in post-colonial Africa, much of the blame over the suffering incurred by native Africans was the result of the colonial powers. It began with the prologue: In the land of Kutuje, a son was born to King Adetusa and his wife, Queen Ojuola, for they were the king and queen of the land of kutuje. So begins the tragic tale that leads to heartaches, deaths and sorrows, which will have readers asking whos to blame?. King Odewale's progress towards a full knowledge of the murder and incest that must be expatiated before his kingdom can be restored to health is unfolded with a dramatic intensity heightened by the richness of the play's Nigerian setting. Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. : The old man happens to also be his father, though Odewale is not aware of this at the time. Finally, she stated that Gbonka was the person who witnessed king Adetusas death. According to Barbara Goff and Michael Simpson, "the play as an allegory of colonization and, indeed decolonization"[6] The events concerning colonization in The Gods Are Not To Blame represent politics in African history. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. Rotimi's "The gods are not to Blame". Odewale learns that there is a curse on the land, and in order for the sickness to stop going around the curse has to be purged. During their time of sickness, the townspeople solely depend on the herbs used as an attempt to cure the "curse" put on the people. Gbonka was present when King Adetusa was slain at the hands of Odewale. Would have been a five if not that the ending wrenched my heart. Rotimi, in response to the Nigerian Civil War, says that the root cause of the strife among Nigerians, of the bloodshed, was in their lingering mutual ethnic distrust which culminate in open hostility. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers. In the last part Odewale leaves. She also gave birth to four children for Odewale, her first son who had murdered his father. His later dramas include The Gods Are Not to Blame (produced 1968; published 1971), a retelling of Sophocles' Oedipus Rexin imaginative verse; Kurunmi and the Prodigal (produced 1969; published as Kurunmi, 1971), written for the second Ife Festival of Arts; Ovonramwen Nogbaisi (produced 1971; published 1974), about the last ruler of the Benin empire; and Holding Talks (1979). 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. They conquered their enemies and came out victorious. Meanwhile, king Odewale imagined a potential plot against him being overthrown by Aderopo, the son of the late king Adetusa. What really stricks me about this book now is the title Rotimi chose. 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