Upon returning to Nigeria in the 1960s, Rotimi taught at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), where he founded the Ori Olokun Acting Company, and the University of Port Harcourt theater. Page Flip. Alaka hails from the village of Ishokun. Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group. The use of myths with dances in the play. The leadership in the play forms a comparison to that of the King and many of the townspeople. Alaka also told everyone present how Odewale had been adopted by the people he thought were his parents. Ishokun, in the play, is a small farming village, wherein Odewale learned to harvest yams. Odewale finds out that the man who is cursed killed King Adetusa I. the gods are not to blame -ola rotimi (summary and analysis) - YouTube 0:00 / 11:56 the gods are not to blame -ola rotimi (summary and analysis) 5,336 views Jul 10, 2021 Like Dislike Share. But, it will help something that will let you get the best become old and moment to spend for reading the The Gods Are Not To . 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). Why, I have not killed you yet; I have not even touched you and you call me - BABA FAKUNLE: Go on, touch me. Viewed from a sociolinguistic perspective, Yoruba proverbs exemplified by those used by Ola Rotimi in The Gods Are Not to Blame and Kurunmi especially, reveal the values of good conduct, respect for elders, the place of royalty, cordiality and cooperation for peaceful co-existence among the Yoruba. His first plays, To Stir the God of Iron (produced 1963) and Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again (produced 1966; published 1977), were staged at the drama schools of Boston University and Yale, respectively. He is found and picked up by a farmer hunter Ogundele and raised by him along with his wife Mobe. In the Yoruban culture, like many others, have symbolic. The only way to avert this taboo was to kill the yet innocent infant. 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. In the last part Odewale leaves. It's about having power over the land and Odewale no longer has the power because the old man took it from him, which is why he turns a hoe, which is a gardening tool, into a sword. [8] Odebunmi" Language,Culture and Proverbs". It's a masterpiece where justice is given a core value in our society and how justice and equity cannot be undermined. Aderopo denies the allegations, and Odewale calls forth the Priest of Ogun. Out of fear and respect, Aderopo having got answers from the shrine of Orunmila in Ile-Ife was reluctant to tell the king about the outcome of his findings in public. After a dispute, Baba Fakunle calls Odewale a "murderer," alluding to the assault that occurred on the yam patch in Ede, in which Odewale kills King Adetusa, unknowingly his father. Instead, he is wrapped in a white cloth (symbolizing death) and left in a bush far from Kutuje. : Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. 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. He had worked so hard here. The self-styled 'Apostle' of the Destiny Church made the comments just days after the storm hit, dedicating a sermon to the topic and . Much of classical Greek drama derived from . Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app. He makes use of wry humour to seek a level playing ground for resolution of the biases men and women nurse about one another and which affect mutual co-existence of the two. An adaptation of the Greek classic Oedipus Rex, the story centres on Odewale, who is lured into a false sense of security, only to somehow get caught up in a somewhat consanguineous trail of events by the gods of the land. Kindly share this article via the links below: LinkedIn She is the mother of six children: two under King Adetusa (Odewale and Aderepo), and four under King Odewale (Adewale, Adebisi, Oyeyemi, Adeyinka). At the end, the reader is left with a ringing conclusion - one can never outrun fate. There is a great deal of wit in the work and the setting here is the university environment where the youthful contenders are idealistic. Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2005. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at. Please try your request again later. It is an adaptation of the Greek classic Oedipus Rex. Along with the Ogun Priest, it is revealed to him that the old king was his father, and that Ojuola was his mother. Tororo, Tororo, Roro is a coincidental meeting of two fellows from Man Talk, Woman Talk, Tunji Oginni and Philomena James. Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at. Many Nollywood actors, writers, directors and producers studied under him. The Gods Are Not to Blame is influenced by Yoruba and Yoruban culture. Academic Questions in Literature in English. was published in 1991. Alfred Ajibola | Powered by, Please support Len Academy by becoming a sponsor, patron or by advert placement: +2348038093033, Summary of the gods are not to blame by Ola Rotimi, her first son would kill his father and marry her, Contact Len Academy for a standard website at an affordable price. It is comical and the language used is a version of "Nigerian English" (for example: "Se you get?" If not for the educational benefit just read it for fun. Aderopo arrives and is immediately confronted by Odewale about his suspicions. It had its first performance in Nigeria at the Ife Festival of the Arts in 1968, has since been staged with great success in other West African countries, and was awarded the first prize in the African Arts/Arts d'Afrique playwriting contest in 1969. Unable to add item to List. Instead, he is wrapped in a white cloth (symbolizing death) and left in a bush far from Kutuje. But it is set at an undetermined time in the Yoruba culture of Nigeria. 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. Required fields are marked *. Read more Previous page Reading age 12 - 14 years Print length 82 pages Language English Grade level 2 - 7 The Gods Are Not To Blame is a 1968 play and a 1971 novel by Ola Rotimi. You can follow Len Academy on twitter here.Thank you. In 2000 he returned to Ile-Ife where he lectured in Obafemi Awolowo University till his demise. Sorry, there was a problem loading this page. The scene is a court though devoid of the usual technicalities of court rooms. His parents tried to stop fate by decreeing his death at infancy. He began to run from one town to another until he finally landed at kutuje, a town that had recently lost their king; 'a king he himself murdered', king Adetusa. Man Talk, Woman Talk is humorous, as quintessential comedies from the author can be. In 1965, he married Hazel Mae Guadreau, from Gloucester Massachusettes; Hazel also studied at Boston University, where she majored in opera, voice and music education. Current wife of King Odewale. Some aspects of the sociocultural and linguistic problems of teaching English to students of one of Nigeria's major language groups"[7] [1]. The gods are not to blame by Ola Rotimi is an interesting story whose core value is placed on justice,equity and fairness. They conquered their enemies and came out victorious. It is comical and the language used is a version of "Nigerian English" (for example: "Se you get?" 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. Baba Fakunle: A blind, old man, Baba Fakunle serves as a soothsayer to those who seek him. A classical tale (play here) transposed onto African soil, as it were. Please try again. The theme of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex is skillfully transplanted to African soil. In the economic structure, one observes the resources the Yoruban culture considers vital to maintain wellness and health. Not too long, Gbonka (an elderly man by now) arrived the palace. She is the mother of six children: two under King Adetusa (Odewale and Aderepo), and four under King Odewale (Adewale, Adebisi, Oyeyemi, Adeyinka). the gods are not to blame, because they have spoken and it is left for the subject to obey. The priest of Ifa, Baba Fakunle (a blind soothsayer) cast his opele and said; This child would kill his father and marry his own mother. [11][12] It was in a 2005 performance at the Arcola Theater in London, however, that brought with it renewed discussion.[13]. She was given a prophecy, along with King Adetusa, that their child, Odewale, would one day grow up to usurp the thrown, killing his father and marry his mother. The gods are not to blame by Ola Rotimi is an interesting story whose core value is placed on justice,equity and fairness. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. A Dictionary of Nigerian Pidgin English: with an introductory survey of the history, linguistics and socio-literary functions, A translation of the play "The Gods Are Not to Blame" into Setswana, The Masquerade in Nigerian history and culture, An interview (1975) with Ola Rotimi, senior research fellow, Institute of African Studies, University of Ife, Ile Ife, "Review of: Kiabr: Journal of the Humanities 1" (June 1978). The manner in which he kills his father is revealed in a flashback when his childhood friend, Alaka, comes to Kutuje to ask him why he was not in the village of Ede as he said he would be when he departed at age thirteen. in his play 1he gods are not to blame.t Whereas the action of Soyinka's play is set in Greece, Rotimi has transplanted his play to Africa and has also changed the . Each chapter will include a brief sketch of the authors life, a resume of the plays, and the development of major and minor characters. A blind soothsayer, Baba Fakunle, is brought in to share with Odewale the murderer of the old king. I am a teacher and have my MFA in playwriting, so I feel strongly that plays are meant to be performed. Queen Ojuola and the Ogun priest realized the truth. Sticky notes. [9][10] It was nominated for an award at the ESB Dublin Fringe Festival 2003. [nb 1]. Odewale storms Kutuje with his chiefs flanking by his side, and is declared King by the town's first chief. 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