Tororo, Tororo, Roro is a coincidental meeting of two fellows from Man Talk, Woman Talk, Tunji Oginni and Philomena James. 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. So begins the tragic tale that leads to heartaches, deaths and sorrows, which will have readers asking whos to blame?. Indeed, culture is the way of life. One day, an old man accompanied by five bodyguards invaded his farmland and claimed the land to be his. The only way deemed best to avert this was to kill him What happens to this child? The gratifying Barbara Goff and Michael Simpson 2007: c2 92-93. His dream of directing a play of 5000 cast members materialized at the Amphi Africa Theater when he was being put to rest as the crowd was drawn to a manuscript of the day's program outline. (1968) The Gods Are Not To Blamean adaptation of the Greek classic Oedipus Rex; the main character gets trapped by pride, ignorance and the caprices of the divinities. Odewale brings real facts to the people of the land. The King expresses sympathy to the townspeople for the illness that has been plaguing them. Academic Questions in Literature in English. [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. In 2000 he returned to Ile-Ife where he lectured in Obafemi Awolowo University till his demise. The theme of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex is skillfully transplanted to African soil. In an attempt to calm the accused king, the chiefs told him Baba Fakunle was mad. the gods are not to blame - ola rotimi (full story, summary and analysis)the gods are not to blame - ola rotimi ( summary and analysis)the setting, backgroun. Alaka also told everyone present how Odewale had been adopted by the people he thought were his parents. 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. 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. The village elders gather round to discuss the allegations that have been made against Odewale. 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. He felt that the future of Nigerian culture cannot continue to be blamed forces from the past, much like Odewale would blame the suffering of his people, in his kingdom, on the sins of the old king, Adetusa. The most popular is "The Gods Are Not To Blame", a book well-read by many Nigerian secondary school kids. He has been called "a complete man of the theatre an actor, director, choreographer and designer who created performance spaces, influenced by traditional architectural forms.". The gods and supernatural beings in the invisible realms claim foreknowledge of the fate which the tragic hero brings into the world, yet do not influence the fate-holder in the winding trail of life to the fulfillment of tragic fate. These promotions will be applied to this item: Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. Along with the Ogun Priest, it is revealed to him that the old king was his father, and that Ojuola was his mother. 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. Odewale is confronted by Gbonka, a messenger, who tells of the event that lead to King Adetusa's end. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. was published in 1991. The Gods Are Not to Blame is influenced by Yoruba and Yoruban culture. Your email address will not be published. Odewale placed a curse on anyone who attempted to stop him, for they wandered as far as possible from the land of kutuje, thus fufilling the promise he made on whoever had killed king Adetusa, his father. At birth his parents' joy was cut short when they find out from the oracle. (1985) Hopes of The Living DeadRotimi here depicts a different kind of leader: a selfless, result-oriented, committed leadership complemented by a followership that believes in the good of the generality of its members through the application of itself to the cause that is beneficial. When the frog in front falls in a pit, others behind take caution. His last production was a staging of Man Talk, Woman Talk at the French Institute in Lagos, Nigeria. These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. ASIN First performed in Nigeria in 1968, The Gods Are Not To Blame was produced at the Arcola Theatre in Hackney, London, in 2005. The gods are not to blame: The story is the sad tale of a man named Odewale who has been destined from birth to kill his father and marry his mother. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Photo: NZ Herald. The enemies of kutuje (which are the people of Ikolu) seized this opportunity to attack kutuje, but Odewale championed the war by leading the people of kutuje into battle. Odewale closes the play by stating, the gods have lied Nathaniel. (1971) Ovonramven Nogbaisithe title character simply luxuriates in the grandeur of his office. 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. I believe the problem of man is with man himself.The fact that odewale aided the people of kutuje,was not a prove of leadership mandate.The tragedy that befell kutuje people took its turn after the coronation of odewale as king by either Odewale or the people, without consulting the gods.In our days we make same conclusions when we make people who have helped us come through storms as Lord over our affairs. The fourth chapter will deal with the similarities and the contrasts in . Odewale confesses that his life spiraled out of control when he killed a man. Unable to add item to List. 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. The Gods Are Not to Blame is a 1968 play and a 1971 novel by Ola Rotimi. The Gods Are Not To Blame is a 1968 play and a 1971 novel by Ola Rotimi. Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2014. Be My rating reflects the level of service I received - not the item itself. 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. Word Wise helps you read harder books by explaining the most challenging words in the book. People made dramatic entry and exit to the stage around his casket with the man turning his casket. Function: _error_handler, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/page/index.php The culture represents "the way of life for an entire society", as noted in Pragmatic Functions of Crisis Motivated Proverbs in Ola Rotimi's The Gods Are Not to Blame. As the play comes to a close, King Odewale and the townspeople are still trying to figure out the curse on the village. 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. 'The Gods Are Not To Blame' is a 1968 play and a 1971 novel by Ola Rotimi. Gbonka: The former messenger of the late King Adetusa. The book is absolutely wonderful. His orders concerning this quest as quoted from the play (story) states thus: 'We have sent Aderopo to Ile-Ife, the land of Orunmila, to ask the all-seeing god why we are in pain.' Later, Ojuola explains that Baba Fakunle made her kill her first born son, convinced that her first son had brought bad luck. : The play is very rich with oral traditions. In The Gods Are Not to Blame, Rotimi gives the ageless story a new spin, with a fresh perspective that makes his book a classic. 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. This is my most favorite book in my literature class in High School. At the end, the reader is left with a ringing conclusion one can never outrun fate. 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. Ola Rotimi had an immense knowledge and interest in African cultures, as indicated in his ability to speak several ethnic languages, such as Yoruba, Ijaw, Hausa, and pidgin. He also produced Tororo Tororo roro, a play of the Absurd, as a convocation play. Gbonka was present when King Adetusa was slain at the hands of Odewale. 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. "The Gods Are Not to Blame" is a modern updating of the ancient story of disgraced Theban King Oedipus. 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. 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. Additional gift options are available when buying one eBook at a time. 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. Odewale banishes Aderopo from the kingdom. But it is set at an undetermined time in the Yoruba culture of Nigeria. One of the great dramas held me captivated. The Gods are not to blame was first performed in Nigeri .more Get A Copy Kindle Store $5.00 Amazon Stores the gods are not to blame, because they have spoken and it is left for the subject to obey. [8] Odebunmi" Language,Culture and Proverbs". Alaka hails from the village of Ishokun. 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. Page Flip. , Sticky notes Rotimi spent the second half of his last creative decade reworking two of his plays Man Talk, Woman Talk and also Tororo, Tororo, Roro and the result, unpublished at the time of his death in 2002, have now been published under the title The Epilogue. Instead of legal jargon, there is humour, arguments and counter arguments. Gbonka, however went back home to continue his service as the kings messenger. Aderopo denies the allegations, and Odewale calls forth the Priest of Ogun. Line: 478 Rotimi's main intervention is to dispense with the gradual revelation of the truth of Sophocles' original: here, the . : This reworking of Oedipus Rex was part of the African Arts (Arts d'Afrique) playwriting contest in 1969. 1ST CHIEF: Your Highness, the man does not know what he says. Much of classical Greek drama derived from . Function: _error_handler, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/page/index.php , Publication date One finds that their roles compared to King Odewale's serve as a primary example of the social aspect. 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). Instead of declaring the murderer openly, he indirectly accused king Odewale by calling him a bed-sharer. Written by Otun Rasheed in 2011, the theatrical adaptation The Gods Are Still Not to Blame brings Rotimi's drama to the twenty-first century. 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. 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. The Gods Are Not To Blame has become canonical in European and American as well as African theatre. Aderopo gives good news to Odewale from Orunmila concerning the sickness going around the kingdom, but along with the good news comes the bad. He named him Odewale. An ending that really breaks one's heart. Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear());, All rights reserved. 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. It was through this book that I first became acquainted with Oedipus' tale. "The Gods Are Not to Blame" is a modern updating of the ancient story of disgraced Theban King Oedipus. Please support Len Academy by becoming a sponsor, patron or by advert placement: Literature in English Scheme of Work, SS1, 1st Term, Literature in English Scheme of Work, SS1, 2nd Term, Literature in English Scheme of Work, SS1, 3rd Term, Please read on Essays: Learn how to write Essays here. One of the chiefs was with him when this happened. 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. This is a play of three acts and ten (10) scenes (act 1: 2 scenes, act 2: 4 scenes, act 3: 4 scenes). 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