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. Get help and learn more about the design. 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. The Gods are not to be blame is a story of a mans fate. At this point we are introduced to Alaka, who claims to have known King Odewale since before he came to conquer Kutuje. : 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. if Gbonka had killed him in the bush as an infant, the curse would have been averted. 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. I think that this play is an interesting play which teaches a person of not trying to hide or run away from their destiny. By juxtaposing Alaka in Odewale's new environment, Kutuje, Rotimi illustrates the cultural differences between traditional Yoruban life, with that of the industrialized west. Number of Acts and Scenes Line: 192 At birth his parents' joy was cut short when they find out from the oracle. The playwright intended for the book to be a sign post for the need for obedience in our society. "Proverbs deal with issues that border on the values, norms, institutions and artifacts of a society across the whole gamut of the people's experiences. The only way to avert this taboo was to kill the yet innocent infant. Photo: NZ Herald. was published in 1991. Not too long, an old friend of king Odewale, by name Alaka from the town of Ijekun visited the palace of kutuje. 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. When Alaka reminded him of their encounter in the past, the truth was exposed that Odewale is indeed the son of the late Adetusa, the king of kutuje whom he himself (Odewale) murdered on his farmland. Anyone seeking to familiarize themselves with african folklore or get a gist of the community setting must definately read this book. Instead of legal jargon, there is humour, arguments and counter arguments. The play was revived by Talawa Theatre Company in a well received production in 1989, sparking interest in the play's themes. The radio play Everyone His/Her Own Problem, was broadcast in 1987. Before now, the queen had told Odewale that when her husband died, Baba Fakunle was consulted and he said that the king was killed by his own blood. Academic Questions in Literature in English. not so long ago the Yoruba formed a conglomeration of small, pre-industrial, mutually competing city states, as did ancient Attica . 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. Sadly, I prefer Sophocles' writing much more than Ola Rotimi's. It was launched again in February 2004, Bisi Adigun and Jimmy Fay's Arambe Productions presenting what Roddy Doyle described as an exhilarating and exciting version of the play to the O'Reilly Theatre. His book African Dramatic Literature: To Be or to Become? Instead, he is wrapped in a white cloth (symbolizing death) and left in a bush far from Kutuje. The book is absolutely wonderful. [3] This article focuses specifically on the 1968 play. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! His last production was a staging of Man Talk, Woman Talk at the French Institute in Lagos, Nigeria. Odewale banishes Aderopo from the kingdom. : This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers. 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. You can follow Len Academy on twitter here.Thank you. This man left his hometown and in the process stumbled upon the people of Kutuje at a time . Akin Odebunmi in Motivated Proverbs In Ola Rotimi's "The Gods Are Not To Blame" uses myths and dances established in Yoruban culture that helps serve as the basis of the play. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. [clarification needed] To prevent this from occurring, King Adetusa orders for Odewale to be killed. 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. Parcourez la librairie en ligne la plus vaste au monde et commencez ds aujourd'hui votre lecture sur le Web, votre tablette, votre tlphone ou un lecteur d'e-books. Rotimi, a patriot who shunned the attraction of the West and Europe and returned home to contribute his own quota to nation building, was a rare breed. i learned that the issue of generation curse is a strong issues. When crocodiles eat their own eggs, what will they not do to the flesh of a frog? I liked it but was confused until I realized the pages were not in order. Odewale begins to make accusations of a plot being made against him, spearheaded by Aderopo, to one of the village chiefs in response to Baba Fakunle's silence. He had worked so hard here. Odewale begins to make accusations of a plot being made against him, spearheaded by Aderopo, to one of the village chiefs in response to Baba Fakunle's silence. He further said that he was the servant of Ogundele (Odewales foster father); and on that fateful day when Odewale was rescued from death in the bush, both of them were together; for they had gone hunting. So begins the tragic tale that leads to heartaches, deaths and sorrows, which will have readers asking whos to blame?. Odewale immediately ordered men to bring Gbonka from Ipetu. There was a problem loading your book clubs. At this moment, Aderopo came in and Odewale apologized for his wrong accusations against him. that we shld not let our temper let us into other bad things that we are going to regret later in the future because it is going to affect us very badly like Odewale's temper lead him to his grave that should not happen to any reasonable humanbeign who have consience. I am so glad this story was set in a period during the Yoruba Kingdom, because this is the sort of thing that I grew up with, as a Cuban, it is a part of every ethnic group's culture, one of the many things that threads us together. One of the chiefs was with him when this happened. These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. The play the gods are not to blame is dated. He also produced Tororo Tororo roro, a play of the Absurd, as a convocation play. The theme of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex is skillfully transplanted to African soil. Odewale storms Kutuje with his chiefs flanking by his side, and is declared King by the town's first chief. 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. King Odewales 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 plays Nigerian setting. : The Gods Are Not To Blame is a 1968 play and a 1971 novel by Ola Rotimi. It is during the course of the play that Odewale reveals to Alaka why it was that he left the village of Ede, where Odewale said he would live after leaving Ishokun when he was thirteen. Femi Elufowoju Jr had his first theatre experience in 1975, at the age of 11, when he saw a revival of this very play, performed in a reconstructed Greek amphitheatre at a university campus in Ife; and brought it to the UK shores as a British leading theatre director under the company name Tiata Fahodzi. As the queen of the kingdom of Kutuje, she finds herself serving as Odewale's conscience, calming him when he begins to act irrationally. Still failing to comprehend the outcome of Aderopo's visit to Ile-Ife, king Odewale once again, sent Aderopo to fetch Baba Fakunle, the blind Ifa priest, all the way from Oyo to his palace. At the end, the reader is left with a ringing conclusion one can never outrun fate. Ogundele had pity on the baby and adopted him. If there is any theme that stood out for me, it was the inevitability of reaping what you sow. Line: 478 Do you believe that this item violates a copyright? 8 years ago June 26, 2013. 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. 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. Much of classical Greek drama derived from . He attended St. Cyprian's School in Port Harcourt from 1945 to 1949, St Jude's School, Lagos, from 1951 to 1952 and the Methodist Boys High School in Lagos, before travelling to the United States in 1959 to study at Boston University, where he obtained a BA in fine arts. + Follow. During their time of sickness, the townspeople solely depend on the herbs used as an attempt to cure the "curse" put on the people. 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. Download The Gods are Not to Blame Book in PDF, Epub and Kindle. In fact, it is the presence of this murderer in kutuje that had brought calamities on their kingdom. Alaka hails from the village of Ishokun. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at. Near the play's end, Gbonka retells this event to Odewale, which leads to the discovery that Odewale was in fact the son of the former king, and the son of the current queen, and his birth mother, Ojuola. [3] This article focuses specifically on the 1968 play. The Gods Are Not to Blame is influenced by Yoruba and Yoruban culture. Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group. Later, Ojuola explains that Baba Fakunle made her kill her first born son, convinced that her first son had brought bad luck. Book reviews, interviews, editors' picks, and more. In an attempt to calm the accused king, the chiefs told him Baba Fakunle was mad. Would have been a five if not that the ending wrenched my heart. InOla Rotimis version of the Greek mythology about cursed Oedipus, we see a relatable Yoruba man named Odewale a strong willed man who becomes the very thing he ran away from. My feelings are torn here for reasons of theater only. The Gods Are Not To Blame Full Book Ola Rotimi Right here, we have countless ebook The Gods Are Not To Blame Full Book Ola Rotimi and collections to check out. Instead of legal jargon, there is humour, arguments and counter arguments. The Epilogue: Two unpublished plays of Ola Rotimi. 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. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. To this end, he publicly delivered his findings by stating that the reason for the plague is a man who killed their former king. Please try your request again later. The King expresses sympathy to the townspeople for the illness that has been plaguing them. Meanwhile, king Odewale imagined a potential plot against him being overthrown by Aderopo, the son of the late king Adetusa. She is the mother of six children: two under King Adetusa (Odewale and Aderepo), and four under King Odewale (Adewale, Adebisi, Oyeyemi, Adeyinka). SYNOPSIS OF THE PLAY The play is a modern dramaturgical experiment on the classical philosophical discourse concerning the concept of destiny and fate element which was started by . In The Gods Are Not To Blame, Rotimi incorporates many themes, such as culture and its connection with the form of the social structure of an African community. Be My rating reflects the level of service I received - not the item itself. WhatsApp , File size 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. The use of myths with dances in the play. Designed by An adaptation of the Greek classic Oedipus Rex, set in an indeterminate period of a Yoruba kingdom, the story centers on Odewale, who is lured into a false sense of security, only to somehow get caught up in a somewhat consanguineous trail of events. Please try again. Rotimi, a patriot who shunned the attraction of the West and Europe and returned home to contribute his own quota to nation building, was a rare breed. He is summoned by Odewale to ask of a way to rid the suffering of his kingdom. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. Your curiosity about this PDF will be solved sooner in The above further reveals that the destinies of the duo are tied and can't be untie. The Gods Are Not to Blame is a 1968 play and a 1971 novel by Ola Rotimi. The King expresses sympathy to the townspeople for the illness that has been plaguing them. He is found and picked up by a farmer hunter Ogundele and raised by him along with his wife Mobe. I believe this scholar is claiming to the idea that proverbs deal with issues in the Yoruban culture. Line: 24 Please read on Essays: Learn how to write Essays here. (1971) Ovonramven Nogbaisithe title character simply luxuriates in the grandeur of his office. [9][10] It was nominated for an award at the ESB Dublin Fringe Festival 2003. Number of Acts and Scenes The play consists of three acts and ten scenes as follows; Ola Rotimi's The Gods Are Not To Blame is the series of unfortunate events that occur in King Odewale's life. The Gods are Not to Blame written by Ola Rotimi, is about a man born with a destiny that he tries to run away from. The comical character Alaka, for example, represents Odewale's childhood growing up in the village of Ishokun. Rotimi often examined Nigeria's history and local traditions in his works. Owing, in part, to political conditions in Nigeria, Rotimi spent much of the 1990s living in the Caribbean and the United States, where he taught at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He therefore banished Aderopo from his kingdom. They both fought using their mystical powers but the old man appeared to be more powerful. Function: require_once. The Gods Are Not To Blame made its dbut in Nigeria in 1968. Get a gist of the community setting must definately read this book ago the Yoruba formed a conglomeration of,! Mystical powers but the old man appeared to be Blame is dated of the Absurd, as a play! Ovonramven Nogbaisithe title character simply luxuriates in the grandeur of his office is., double tap to read brief content produced Tororo Tororo roro, a play of the late Adetusa., the reader is left with a ringing conclusion one can never outrun fate book... 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