His last production was a staging of Man Talk, Woman Talk at the French Institute in Lagos, Nigeria. In the Yoruban culture, like many others, have symbolic. Odewale's horrible fate, whether it had been the Seer being silent, or even his parents not ordering his death. When it is revealed by the Ogun Priest that Ojuola is, in fact, Odewale's mother, she goes to her bedroom and kills herself. 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. if Gbonka had killed him in the bush as an infant, the curse would have been averted. The book is a great read, one that will have you envisioning every aspect of it, making it seem that you are actually watching a theatre performance. King Adetusa: Former king of Kutuje. 87 pages. Would have been a five if not that the ending wrenched my heart. a very interesting novel, a story of a man who killed his father and married his mother, this is something which does not happen very often. Odewale is confronted by Gbonka, a messenger, who tells of the event that lead to King Adetusa's end. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions. Odebunmi (2008) then says, language, therefore, expresses the patterns and structures of culture, and consequently influences human thinking, manners and judgement. Odewale further said that he could no longer stay on his farmland because human blood had been shed on it. 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. Something went wrong. Some aspects of the sociocultural and linguistic problems of teaching English to students of one of Nigeria's major language groups"[7] [1]. 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. She is the mother of six children: two under King Adetusa (Odewale and Aderepo), and four under King Odewale (Adewale, Adebisi, Oyeyemi, Adeyinka). The Oracle of Ifa at the shrine of Orunmila after consultations told Aderopo (who had come to make enquires) that the cause of sickness and death was the murderer of the late king, who now live peacefully in the land of kutuje. 1ST CHIEF: Your Highness, the man does not know what he says. as mission from the gods to carry out on earth (The gods are not to Blame, 2). Barbara Goff and Michael Simpson 2007: c2 92-93. At this, Odewale did not show any sign of sorrow because at one time, he was told of his cursed destiny through a proverb by an uncle of his who failed to reveal whom his true parents were. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! Ola Rotimis works are also a social satire and this publication will spur renewed interest in his satires. Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group. The Gods Are Not To Blame (2003 - 2004) 2003: Blue Raincoat's Factory Performance Space (Republic of Ireland) The Gods are Not to Blame (2005) 2005: Arcola Theatre (London, Greater London, England) The Gods Are Not To Blame (2007) 2007: Accra Centre for National Culture (Ghana) The Gods Are Still Not To Blame (2012) 2012: The Gods Are Not To . The use of myths with dances in the play. For those who are unfamiliar with Oedipus story, it is a myth about a mortal who was cursed from birth to kill is father, marry his mother, and bear four children with her. Line: 107 This man left his hometown and in the process stumbled upon the people of Kutuje at a time . This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers. Your email address will not be published. It will not become a unity of the habit for you to get unbelievable further at all. 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. It was also interesting to see how Odewales destiny led him back home, especially when he turned out to be a good ruler of his people. It particularly highlights the emotional language used in the drama. To nullify his cursed destiny, he ran away to Ede, a distant land where he bought a farmland at Orita-meta (meaning the place where the three foot paths meet). It is discovered that Ola Rotimi employed proverbs, incantations, metaphor, simile . If you compare Rex Warners Oedipus story (in Men and Gods) to Ola Rotimis The Gods Are Not to Blame, it is very easy to see the differences (and familiarities) of the mythical story. What the author arrives at is not to prove which gender is superior but to show the complementary roles of men and women. He is consistently accused by Odewale of having ulterior motives to take the throne from him, going as far as to say that Aderopo had bribed the soothsayer, Baba Fakunle, of giving a false account of what is to come. Who is to blame in the play? Not too long, an old friend of king Odewale, by name Alaka from the town of Ijekun visited the palace of kutuje. The gods are not to blame by Ola Rotimi is an interesting story whose core value is placed on justice,equity and fairness. 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. Things Fall Apart (African Trilogy, Book 1). WhatsApp [11][12] It was in a 2005 performance at the Arcola Theater in London, however, that brought with it renewed discussion. The gods are not to blame. 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. Ojuola: Wife of the late King Adetusa. Aderopo: Brother of Odewale, and son of King Adetusa and Ojuola. Sadly, I prefer Sophocles' writing much more than Ola Rotimi's. Much of classical Greek drama derived from . Be My rating reflects the level of service I received - not the item itself. There was a problem loading your book clubs. They have four children: Enitan, Oruene (Only daughter), Abiodun(Ola Jr) and Bankole. Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Les avis ne sont pas valids, mais Google recherche et supprime les faux contenus lorsqu'ils sont identifis. Simply suggest, the use of language is part of culture. It's a masterpiece where justice is given a core value in our society and how justice and equity cannot be undermined. During their time of sickness, the townspeople solely depend on the herbs used as an attempt to cure the "curse" put on the people. I wanted this as a gift to someone special, however, instead I got months of HEADACHE! Sticky notes. It was through this book that I first became acquainted with Oedipus' tale. Becoming a king in kutuje in such a manner comes with a tradition which is: The new king must marry the wife of the late king. He brings his sick children for the town to see, that way they know that his family is also suffering. First performed in Nigeria in 1968, The Gods Are Not To Blame was produced at the Arcola Theatre in Hackney, London, in 2005. [9][10] It was nominated for an award at the ESB Dublin Fringe Festival 2003. These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. By juxtaposing Alaka in Odewale's new environment, Kutuje, Rotimi illustrates the cultural differences between traditional Yoruban life, with that of the industrialized west. My feelings are torn here for reasons of theater only. , X-Ray The play was revived by Talawa Theatre Company in a well received production in 1989, sparking interest in the play's themes. Queen Ojuola and the Ogun priest realized the truth. 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. In the last part Odewale leaves. Anyone seeking to familiarize themselves with african folklore or get a gist of the community setting must definately read this book. 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. Saah Harris the point is that the gods wanted to make man understand that what ever has been fulfilled, cannot be tempered with. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. The Gods are Not to Blame Ola Rotimi Oxford University Press, 1985 - African drama (English) - 72 pages 5 Reviews Reviews aren't verified, but Google checks for and removes fake content when it's. Man Talk, Woman Talk is humorous, as quintessential comedies from the author can be. The radio play Everyone His/Her Own Problem, was broadcast in 1987. the gods are not to blame, because they have spoken and it is left for the subject to obey. Rotimi's play does so not only by dramatizing this myth with certain ironic instance, but also by juxtaposing this myth with a Yoruba model of cultural transmission. 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. 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. 1220 KB. The contents of the paragraphs are not complete and not legible, Two-Hour Literature & Fiction Short Reads, Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. 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. She also gave birth to four children for Odewale, her first son who had murdered his father. The Ifa priest on arrival at the palace of kutuje immediately knew who the murderer was. As usual with Rotimi, the dialogue is colourful, fecund, brimming with camaraderie or even enmitya superb work. Baba Fakunle: A blind, old man, Baba Fakunle serves as a soothsayer to those who seek him. However, his intentions were to privately relate his findings to king Odewale; but unfortunately, Odewale's act of transparency, alongside his pride made him demand for a public answer to Aderopo's enquiry. 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. : 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. Olawale Gladstone Emmanuel Rotimi, best known as Ola Rotimi (13 April 1938 18 August 2000), was one of Nigeria's leading playwrights and theatre directors. Your curiosity about this PDF will be solved sooner in His father father does to Odewale what European colonizers did to Africa. 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. Odewale brings real facts to the people of the land. Function: require_once. Call up your raw anger, and in the blind-ness of it, strike me dead! 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. He is found and picked up by a farmer hunter Ogundele and raised by him along with his wife Mobe. Perhaps my imagination is not strong enough to see the dimensions, or perhaps too strong. Odewale finds out that the man who is cursed killed King Adetusa I. Rotimi's "The gods are not to Blame". Ogundele had pity on the baby and adopted him. 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. Baba Fakunle tells him that the source of the kingdom's ails lay with him. In the former, Laius (Oedipus father) was told by an oracle that his son, yet unborn, would kill him; whereas in The Gods Are Not to Blame, the revelation comes from Baba Fakunle, an Ifa Priest, who sees into the future of the new born baby in his arms. To this end, he publicly delivered his findings by stating that the reason for the plague is a man who killed their former king. . This is my most favorite book in my literature class in High School. Odewale immediately ordered men to bring Gbonka from Ipetu. The gods are not to blame by Ola Rotimi is an interesting story whose core value is placed on justice,equity and fairness. 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. 840 Ratings. Odewale says to the land that the biggest trouble today is not their sickness but instead the plague in their hearts. Aderopo is also accused of spreading the rumor that Odewale was the one who murdered the old king, Adetusa. There are . Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Gbonka: The former messenger of the late King Adetusa. 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. Number of Acts and Scenes The radio play Everyone His/Her Own Problem, was broadcast in 1987. Do you believe that this item violates a copyright? When Odewale saw his dead wife (who is also his mother), and realizing he had killed his father, he pulled the knife from her stomach and plucked out his own eyes. 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. 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. Current wife of King Odewale. 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. Please try again. 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. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. Despite his best efforts to curb the prophecy that his child, Odewale, would grow up to take the throne by murdering him, he is inevitably slain when he encounters his son, now fully grown, in the village of Ede. 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. Although his adding of an allegory of colonization and decolonization was a nice bonus, and I did love the ending scene and quote: "It is always best to keep your words soft and sweet, you might never know when you'd have to eat them". An example of this is how it sticks to the script of the King being killed where three roads meet, and the four kids begat by mother and son. Although he is a custodian of culture who inspires people, he does not actively participate in their struggles. Line: 192 I love Ola Rotimi's classic; the gods are not to blame. 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. Contact Len Academy for a standard website at an affordable price. 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