The Literary Analysis of Wole Soyinka's Jero Plays: The Trials of Brother Jero and Jero's Metamorphosis, The Lion and the Jewel, and A Play of Giants by Lene Ododomu, an Undergraduate Student of English in the University of Abuja.

THE LITERARY ANALYSIS OF WOLE SOYINKA'S JERO PLAYS: THE TRIALS OF BROTHER JERO AND JERO'S METAMORPHOSIS, THE LION AND THE JEWEL, AND A PLAY OF GIANTS BY LENE ODODOMU, AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT OF ENGLISH IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ABUJA.

               CONTENTS

( 1.) About Wole Soyinka

( 2.) Wole Soyinka as a satirist

(3.) The Jero Plays 

( i. ) Introduction of The Jero Plays

( ii ) First play: The Trials of Brother Jero

(iii) Second play: The Jero's  Metamorphosis

( 4 ) The Lion and the Jewel

( 5 ) A Play of Giants

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              ABOUT WOLE SOYINKA

Professor Wole Soyinka was born on 13 July 1934 at Abeokuta, near Ibadan in western Nigeria. After preparatory university studies in 1954 at Government College in Ibadan, he continued at the University of Leeds, where, later, in 1973, he took his doctorate. During the six years spent in England, he was a dramaturgist at the Royal Court Theatre in London 1958 1959. In 1960, he was awarded a Rockefeller bursary and returned to Nigeria to study African drama. At the same time, he taught drama and literature at various universities in Ibadan, Lagos, and Ife, where, since 1975, he has been professor of comparative literature. In 1960, he founded the theatre group, “The 1960 Masks” and in 1964, the “Orisun Theatre Company”, in which he has produced his own plays and taken part as

actor. He has periodically been visiting

professor at the universities of Cambridge,

Sheffield, and Yale.

During the civil war in Nigeria, Soyinka

appealed in an article for cease-fire. For this he was arrested in 1967, accused of conspiring with the Biafra rebels, and was held as a political prisoner for 22 months until 1969. Soyinka has published about 20 works: drama, novels and poetry. He writes in English and his literary language is marked by great scope and richness of words.

As dramatist, Soyinka has been influenced by, among others, the Irish writer, J.M. Synge, but links up with the traditional popular African theatre with its combination of dance, music, and action. He bases his writing on the mythology of his own tribe-the Yoruba-with Ogun, the god of iron and war, at the centre. He wrote his first plays during his time in

London, The Swamp Dwellers and The Lion and the Jewel (a light comedy), which were performed at Ibadan in 1958 and 1959 and were published in 1963. Later, satirical comedies are The Trial of Brother Jero (performed in 1960, publ. 1963) with its sequel, Jero’s Metamorphosis (performed 1974, published1973), A Dance of the Forests (performed 1960, published1963), Kongi’s Harvest (performed 1965, published 1967) and Madmen and Specialists (performed 1970, published 1971). Among Soyinka’s serious philosophic plays are (apart from “ The Swamp Dwellers “) The Strong Breed (performed 1966, published 1963), The Road ( 1965) and Death and the King’s Horseman (performed 1976, published 1975). In The Bacchae of Euripides (1973),

he has rewritten the Bacchae for the African stage and in Opera Wonyosi (performed 1977, published 1981), bases himself on John Gay’s Beggar’s Opera and Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera . Soyinka’s latest dramatic works are A Play of Giants (1984) and Requiem for a Futurologist (1985).

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         WOLE SOYINKA AS A SATIRIST

The drama has provided a favorable environment for satire ever since it was cultivated by Aristophanes. Aristophanes worked under extraordinarily conditions of 5th century Athenes. Through his series of plays Aristophanes attacked Athenian war policy, gullible complacency and lashed out at contemporary evils. Soyinka was highly influenced by Aristophanes. He practiced satire as a medium of lashing out the imprudence prevailing in the contemporary society with a zeal to bring reformation. As a Satirist Soyinka is seen fighting against the oppressions and injustices. He is prepared to uncover and lash at all sorts of evil and strange conventions which he despised. In his satires, Soyinka aims at exposing the meanness and drabness of the African life he sees around him. He observes the corruption and absurdities in social, political, sexual or religious life with great concerns. He is not a pessimistic writer. Like a true satirist ‘he hates the sin and not the sinner’ He is more of a philanthropist who likes people but hates their ignorance and foolishness. He wants to bring them out of the darkness and evils of ignorance. He directly attacks the age old conventions and vices  which are being accepted and practiced blindly and thoughtlessly in the name of custom. 

INTRODUCTION OF THE JERO PLAYS

The Jero Plays by Wole Soyinka consist of two short plays re-released as a collection in 1973. The Trials of Brother Jero first came out in 1964, while Jero’s Metamorphosis was published two years later in 1966. Both plays satirize Christianity and religious hypocrisy, particularly, the unquestioning devotion that many converts display towards their spiritual leaders, often exposing themselves to manipulation in the process. 

As the first play title suggests, The Trials of Brother Jero, is about a charlatan preacher, Brother Jero. Brother Jero is a cunning beach diviner who woos customers (penitents) to his church by using Christian superstition for his own salvation. For him, the church is a business. He says: "I am glad I got here before any customers-I mean worshipers.. l always get a feeling every morning that I'm a shopkeeper waiting for customers."

He is suave while his followers are gullible. He lures people to his church by promising them material gains and promotions through prayer. Chume his assistant often seeks for permission to beat his arrogant wife Amope but Brother Jero disagrees: "I keep my followers dissatisfied because if they are satisfied, they won’t come again.."

When Brother Jero discovers that Amope is Chume’s wife, he grants him permission to beat her for she is his stubborn creditor who has been harassing him over a velvet cape she had sold him at one pound, eight shillings and nine pence. Three months down the road, Jero has still not paid her. He blames her for selling him a cape (which he would not have needed if it were not for his church business). In a bid to collect her debt, the woman camps at Jero’s house daily.

Brother Jero’s greatest weakness is women. His lust for them at one point earns him a beating from an angry woman (daughters of eve, he calls them).

Chume is disappointed when he finds out that Brother Jero wants him to beat Amope for his own convenience. To him the two are having a sexual affair behind his back. He says in Pidgin English: ‘The prophet na in over. As soon as dark, she go in meet in man….adulterer, woman thief. Today I go finish you.’

Brother Jero, who has been in the middle of praying for a member of parliament, flees for his life on seeing Chume with a cutlass. The gullible member thinks that he has ascended to heaven.

The second play, Jero’s Metamorphosis, is also set in Nigeria. Here, Brother Jero is cast as one of the many beach prophets operating in the region. The play opens with Brother Jero instructing Rebecca his secretary to write invitation letters to other prophets. He has managed to access a confidential file that reveals plans to transform the beach, now used as a place for worship, into a public prosecution ground. With the meeting, the cunning Jero plans on using the file and its contents to unite all the prophets so they form one church with him as the leader. On the day of the meeting, Jero delays making an appearance. Meanwhile, he opportunistically instructs Rebecca to give the prophets a lot of alcohol.

When Jero eventually arrives, the preachers are asked to choose who will be the head of the church. Influenced by the alchohol they’ve been having, they cast their votes in favor of Brother Jero over his rival Shadrack. The latter had been seen as the probable head. Unlike his colleagues, many of whom are ex-convicts, Shadrack is a real preacher. Justifying the title metamorphosis, all the people in Jero’s church are given titles like Sergeant and General yet most of them had been ex convicts instead of having titles suitable for the church such as pastors, bishops. Their titles are from the police department.

                        

                            FIRST PLAY

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Text title: The Trials of Brother Jero

Author: Wole Soyinka

Genre type: Play

Play type: Comedy

Year of publication: 1964

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              Contents

( 1 ) Summary of the play

( 2 ) Plot summary

( 3 ) Characters

( i ) Major

( ii ) Minor

( 4 ) Themes

( i ) Major

( ii ) Minor

( 5 ) Literary techniques

( 6 ) Setting

( 7 ) The play as a comedy

( 8 ) The play as a satire 

( i ) The tools of satire used in the play

( 9 ) Vivid description of the title

( 10 ) Moral lessons of the play

             SUMMARY OF THE PLAY

The play, The Trials of Brother Jero is an identical satirical play of Moliere's Tartuffe that  exposes or reveals the hypocrisy, exploitation and oppression practiced by some religious and political leaders who claim to save the people while they don't. The play revolves around the main character named Brother Jero whose full name is Jeroboam. He is an evangelical self-proclaimed prophet who ironically formed a self made idea that his hairs are uniquely created by God to mark him a prophet.  The play, however, opens with his delivering of a monologue about his beginnings, telling the audience that he was born a prophet and reveals his view of prophethood as a "trade." He was able to acquire his current beach-side realty in the name of his former master, the Old Prophet, by leading a campaign against the other prophets and followings also claiming the land. He then drove the Old Prophet off his own land, however, and midway into his monologue the Old Prophet enters to curse him, wishing his downfall through women.

Progressing to Scene 2, the audience is introduced to Chume, a messenger in the government, and Amope, his hotheaded wife. Amope is determined to collect the money that Brother Jero owes her for a velvet cape that he purchased from her, unbeknownst to Chume, who is his most faithful penitent. Amope camps outside his door and after a brief confrontation Jero sneaks out to the beach, where he tells his followers he lives, and he stays there even though there is heavy rain just to convince the people that he is truely an anointed man of God. Chume arrives at the beach and meets Jero in Scene 3, dying to....to list his grievances about his wife who harasses him with her stubbornness. Jero has told Chume that he must not beat his wife for it is not the will of God, despite repeated requests from Chume. As the rest of the congregation gathers, a fight between a Drummer Boy and a woman temporarily distracts Jero, who leaves to attempt to mitigate the fight while Chume temporarily takes over his sermon, empowered. When Jero returns, exhausted, he discovers that Chume's wife is Amope, his creditor, so he grants him permission to take her home and beat her, hoping it will take care of his problems as well. His plan of wanting him to take her (Amope) far from him is to escape from her presence that causes him anxiety because she camps at the door of his resident, insisting to receive her money before leaving. 

In Scene 4, while Chume forcing her to pack her things and gets his full freedom to beat her when gets home, she called on Brother Jero, with loud voice, announcing that she has forgiven him his debt so he can help her to curse her husband:

"Tell the prophet I forgive him his debt but he must curse this foolish man to hell" (pp 36).  

So when when Chume heard this, his mind becomes vigilant and encourages to talk back to Amope. In the processing to find out the prophet she was referring to that owns her money, he discovers, however, that the debtor is Brother Jero, who refuses him to beat his wife when he initially requested. That he his final approval is to achieve what he wants and not God's wishes but a self made plan. He also discovers another truth that Brother Jero does not sleep in the beach as he claimed and he accuses him of also having affairs with Amope. Instead of beating Amope, he takes off to confront Jero. 

In the last scene which is the Scene 5, Jero is in the process of converting another penitent, a Member of the House, who at first ignores him but later falls into his trap when he plays on his desire to become a Minister. In the process, Chume arrives with a sword, promising to kill Jero. Jero flees while the penitent's eyes are closed and not aware of what was happening. He opens his eyes and finds out that Jero is no where to be found. With ignorance, he interprets his disappearance as a sign of his divinity, that he is taken away by the angels. When Jero returns he has arranged for Chume to be taken to an insane asylum, and his newest Penitent is more strongly convinced of his status as a Prophet, dedicating himself to Jero as his "Master."

                  PLOT SUMMARY

 First of all, plot is the arrangement of the various actions of characters or events in a play or any other work of art. It also refers to the outline of a play or novel. The events that constitute the play are logically and sequentially arranged. The play, The Trials of Brother Jero, is however, divided into five scenes that communicate the playwright’s message.

Scene One: The scene breaks with a monologue from Brother Jero in which he introduces himself as a prophet by birth and by inclination. He also tells the audience that there are many prophets of his kind in the streets, many with their own

churches other inland and others on the coast. There are prophets who are leading processions while others are looking for processions to lead, many curing the deaf, many raising the dead. 

He says that he was born a prophet and he had grown to love the trade. He says that many prophets now are competing for plots of land at the beach where to erect their churches. This has turned the profession into a thing of ridicule.  He also says that some prophets gained their present beaches by getting women penitents to shake their bosoms in spiritual ecstasy. As a result it reached a point where the Town Council had to intervene and divide the land among the prophets and settled the Prophets’ territorial warfare. 

He tells how he betrayed his old master by pretending to help him to get a plot of land but he ended up possessing the land himself. He blames the television for keeping the wealthier patrons at home since they stay at home and watch the tv instead of going for worship. He had to struggle for a plot of land against other church groups such as The Brotherhood of Jehu, Cherubims and seraphims, the Sisters of Judgement day, the heavenly cowboys and  Jehovah’s Witnesses. 

The old prophet appears and curses Brother Jero for driving him off hid plot of land and says “ Ingrate! Monster! I curse you with the curse of the Daughters of Discord. May they be your downfall! May the Daughters of Eve bring ruin down on your head!” Brother Jero ignores the curse and calls it a cheap curse. He admits that he has one weakness and that is, women. However, he says that women love him because he is good looking.

Scene Two: The scene breaks with Amope and Chume on a bicycle and they brake at Brother Jero’s house. The sudden braking causes a minor injury on Amope’s ankle and she complains a lot for that. Chume unties the bundle he had tied on his bicycle and places them down. Amope has taken all the kitchen utensils required to prepare the meal plus a mat and goes to camp in front of brother Jero’s house.

After unloading everything Chume wants to leave saying that he is late for work. Amope wonders the Chume is just a Chief Messenger in the Local Government office and he calls it a job while his old school friends are now ministers riding in long cars. Chume decides to leave. She wishes he would find another thing so that she

may not go to her grave as a wife of a Chief messenger.

Brother Jero is about to get out but he

notices the presence of Amope. He wants to escape through the window but she sees him and asks “Where do you think you are going?” He comes back to the house. Amope says that it has been

three months and Jero has not paid her money the sum of One pound, eight shillings, and nine pence and she wonders that he calls himself a man of God. She insists that he won’t go anywhere until he has paid the debt. Brother Jero cheats her that the money is not in the house he has to get it from the Post Office and pay her.

A fish trader comes and Amope asks her to put down her trade so that she may buy. She says that the fish smells a bit and the trader tells her that it is her who has not bathed for a week. They exchange insults and the trader carries his load and walks away. She turns and finds Brother Jero escaping through the window. Sheshouts at him calling him a thief. She assures him that he will find it easier to get out of his

house than to get in or else her name is not Amope. A boy coming towards her beating the drum and Amope chases him away calling him a dirty beggar.

Scene Three:  Brother Jero is standing near his church wondering how Amope managed to find his house. He says that he bought the Velvet not because it is a luxury thing but because it would help to distinguish himself from others and finally they will start calling him the Velvet-hearted Jeroboam, Immaculate Jero, Articulate hero of Christ’s Crusade. This is his ambition. He says that he does so because one must have a name that appeals to the imagination of the spirit

and much catch the imagination of the crowd. He says that one must move with modern times because lack of colour gets one nowhere even in the Prophet’s business.

He curses Amope for making him uncomfortable and says the price is too high for that cape. He is glad to get there before his worshippers whom he calls customers. He admits that he keeps them dissatisfied so that they may keep going to him. That is the reason he does not

allow Chume to beat his wife so that he may not be contented and go forever.

A young girl who has been swimming

passes with clean, wet, and shiny face and hair. Brother Jero follows her with his eyes then tells himself “Pray Brother Jeroboam Pray! Pray for strength against temptation.” (p,11). Chume enters and he asks him to pray with and for him against that weakness. They start praying together. Chume seems to have something bothering him because he has come earlier than usual. As he starts meditating Brother Jero says that his worshippers believe that he has no house and he sleeps at the beach. When Chume finishes his meditation he suddenly asks for permission to beat his wife just one sound beating. Brother Jero says it is against the will of God. He tells Chume how he prophesied for him different positions and they came true and now he has prophesied that he will be a Chief Clerk. Chume continues to insist about the beating Jero commands him to kneel down for a prayer. Jero tells Chume that

this woman is his cross and he has to bear it and pray for strength.

Other worshippers have arrived and

Brother Jero leaves them chanting. He talks about a man that he has prophesied that he will be made a chief in his home town. For another he prophesied that he will be the first Prime Minister of the new Mid-North-East State when it is created. He says that it is a risky prophesy but he made it because he badly needed worshippers around that time. Finally he manages to convince Chume not to beat his wife and he agrees. He sends Chume to bring water then a boy enters beating the drum and a woman chasing her. Her wrapper pulled so high up that half the length of her thigh is exposed. Jeroboam follows the woman’s exposed limbs with quite distressed concentration. Brother Jero leaves the duty to Chume and follows them.

Meanwhile a woman detaches from the

crowd shouting Echa, echa, echa, echa,… etc. Chume calls Brother Jero to come back but he is nowhere to be seen. He starts to minister the penitent. He prays for forgiveness while the congregation responds Amen! Then Chume prays for good life and promotions. He says for instance those who are clerk today should be made Chief clerks, Messengers into Senior Service, Petty traders into big contractors, those with bicycles to ride cars …

Prophet Jero appears a much altered man

with his clothes torn and his face bleeding,

asking his Assistant, Brother Chume, to dismiss the congregation. In their discussions, it was revealed, to the reader or audience, that it was Brother Chume’s wife that Prophet Jero had an unpleasant encounter with that morning. Brother Chume reported the way he escorted his wife to Ajete settlement to the poor man’s house, oblivious Jero was actual the man the wife had forced him to carry her to his place to collect the money she was owed. After hearing that Brother Jero discovered that the woman is Chume’s wife. It was also revealed that, initially, the prophet was not aware that, that woman was Brother Chume’s wife.

Paradoxically, the prophet’s advice

changed from prayer and forgiveness to

punishment and the use of whip as soon as Jero realised whose Chume’s wife was. He allowed him to go and take his wife home and beat hersecretly. Before he leaves, Jero tells him that the son of God appeared to him and gave him a new title Immaculate Jero, Articulate Hero of Christ’s Crusade.

Chume goes to his wife and is given the

food. He orders his wife to pack up her things ready to leave for home. Amope thinks the man is drunk because he came earlier than usual. Chume insists on going home but Amope refuses that she won’t leave until she gets her money. Jero enters and hides to observe them. Amope says the amount her debtor owes her is much more than his messengers pay. She tells him that he had better become a sanitary inspector than a messenger. She advices him to take a job that has high pay or at least chances for bribes. She mocks him that he does not drink, or smoke or take bribes but he is still poor.

Chume threatens to beat her saying his

period of abstinence and trial is over. He

commands her to get on the bike she refuses and runs to beat the boor asking to be let in. as she cries for help she says that the husband must kill her first before he ties her onto the bicycle. She asks Brother Jero to curse her husband and she will forgive him his debt. Chume overhears it and asks her to keep quite so that she may explain to him well whether it is Brother Jero who owes her the money. She continues to shout the words “ Kill me ”. He turns to a nearest neighbour who confirms that, that was Brother Jero’s house.

Chume discovers the hypocrisy of Brother

Jero and knows that it is for that reason he allowed him to beat his wife for his own

convenience. Chume leaves her alone and takes his bike ordering her to wait till he returns. Amope is surprised whether her husband is mad.

Scene Five: The scene talks about a Member of the us federal House who has come to rehearse his speech practices. He is a back bencher but with one eye on a ministerial post. He remembers Chume and says that might have lost him because by giving him permission to beat his wife he is now fulfilled and would not come back to him. However he sees it as a good price he paid to get rid of Amope. He then goes to the Member of the house and tries to prophesy for him. At first the minister seems to be aware of this gullibility but later when he is told that he would be appointed as The Minister for War he softens his heart.Brother Jero seizes that opportunity and tells him that he sees Satan in the MP’s eyes. The member grows fearful and raises his arms in half-supplication.

Chume comes agitated talking to himself

wondering that for two years Brother Jero had prohibited him to beat his wife claiming it was against the will of God but today he granted the permission. He laments also after discovering that Jero has a house and he cheats his followers that he sleeps at the beach. Chume suspects that may be Amope and Brother Jero have a private relationship. She pretends to camp at his door demanding the money but when the night falls she gets in and they make love. He blames God that what has he done for God to spoil his life that much. 

Chume leaves while the Prophet prays for the Member of Parliament. Chume comes back abusing Brother Jero calling him adulterer! Woman thief! and threatens to finish him. Brother Jero flees leaving the Member of Parliament alone. When the MP discovers that the Prophet has disappeared he thinks that he has been transported or transmuted and he says to himself “ I knew I stood in the presence of God… ” (p.32). Jero is happy because he has managed to full him. He hopes that he will go and tell it to others. The Member thinks that he is on the holy ground and takes his off his shoes. 

Brother Jero watches as he is about to

sleep so that he may re-appear and make the member believe that he fell from heaven. When the member sees him he falls flat on his face and calls him “ Master!”

                         CHARACTERS

First of all, characters are the imaginary people a writer create in his work. It is the duty of the writer to make his characters look real through assigning of roles and this will create a credibility in the work. There are two major types of characters namely: the major and the minor characters. The major could also be referred as round or complex character or characters that develop fully in a work of art. While the minor could also be referred as flat or simple character or characters that don't fully exist in a work of art. They maybe appear one side in the play and remain the same till the work is over. Then their roles are not that recognized.

            THE MAJOR CHARACTERS

Brother Jero:  Jeroboam is mostly referred in the play as Brother Jero. He is the main character as everything revolves around him in the play. He is a false prophet, a greedy and scheming, but has a smooth, charismatic style and strong command of language that he uses to reel in new worshipers. Jero likes others to think he is important, which is why he makes up all kinds of names for himself that he hopes the congregation will adopt, such as Immaculate Jero and Articulate Hero of Christ's Crusade. He likes to be distinctive, to stand out from the crowd. He has a very high opinion of himself, although he does acknowledge that he has a weakness for women.  He owes money to Amope. He managed to convince a group of people that he is God's prophet with divine powers to help them fulfill their dreams. He lies even to his own assistant that he has no house and he sleeps at the beach but in reality he has a house somewhere in Ajetu settlement area. Brother Jero has been preventing Chime from beating his wife, claiming that it is not the will of God. However, the day he discovered that Amope whom he owed the money is Chume's wife, he granted the permission. This is highest level of hypocrisy.

Chume:  Chume is another major character in the play. He is Brother Jero's most loyal and trusted assistant as well as a Chief Messenger in the Local Government Office. Chume is trapped in an unhappy marriage and desperately wants to beat his wife, Amope. He thinks that Jero is a genuine man of God until he discovers the real man behind the mask. Jero uses his ignorance to tell him that The Son of God appeared to him and gave him a new title Immaculate Jero. Articulate Hero of Christ Crusade and Chume believes. Chume believes that women beating can be a solution to silence his wife, Amope and stop her from abusing him. Chume is very poor something that causes him troubles with his wife who claims that he has better become a Sanitary Inspector for he can at least take bribes and buy a motorcycle than the bicycle he has. But he is a genuine man who hate to associate himself with corrupt things, so he ignores his wife's advice and vows to remain poor than to be a corrupt man.

Amope: Amope is the wife of Chume. She is a self-righteous, cantankerous and nagging woman. She is the play's most significant female. She frequently berates her husband, Chume, for his lack of career success. Amope is the only person who sees Brother Jero for what he is. She wants Brother Jero to pay back the money he owes her. She is a hard working woman and manages to prepare the food for her husband. She says " You can't say I don't try. Hounded out of house by debtors, I still manage to make you a meal" (pp 23). She uses abusive language when talking to people like the fish seller, her husband and her debtor, Brother Jero.

                   MINOR CHARACTERS

( 1 ) Old Prophet: The Old Prophet could be seen as a minor character as he only appears in a single scene of the play. He is Brother Jero's mentor, whom he later drove off his own land. In scene 1,  being the single scene he appeared, he appears as a memory, chastising and cursing Brother Jero for his betrayal and maltreatment.

( 2 ) Trader:  The Trader is another minor and flat character in the play. She appears in Scene 2, taking smoked fish to the market. She is stopped by Amope just to haggle with her and they end up cursing each other. 

( 3 ) The Drummer Boy: The drummer boy is seen as a dirty begged by Amope in Scene 2. In Yoruba belief, beating of the drum mean two things. The first is either praise a person and while the second is to abuse the person. In the play, the boy is pursued hastily by an angry woman who has accused him of using his drums to abuse her father in Scene 3. The drummer boy is also a minor and flat character.

( 4 ) Member of the Parliament: The Member of Parliament is an ambitious but timid politician of little political importance. He goes to the beach to rehearse the fiery speeches he plans to give in Parliament, but he is too frightened actually to deliver them. He is, at first, hostile to Jero, but Jero soon outwits him by playing on the man's ambition. He is so flattered when Jero tells him that he will become minister for war that he is then

easily manipulated. Jero convinces him that fervent prayer would advance his cause with God, and the man complies without hesitation. He thinks Jero is a real prophet and man of God. Jero, of course, plans only to use him for his own ends, but all the politician can think about is his future elevation to the rank of minister for war.

( 5 ) The Penitent: She appears in Scene 3 as minor and flat character. She goes to church in the quest for children. 

( 6 ) Worshipers: They are congregants in Brother Jero's church. They appear in Scene 3 as minor and flat characters.

( 7 ) The Angry Woman: She is a minor and flat character who enters Scene 3 chasing after a drummer as Brother Jero tries to stop her.

( 8 ) Young Girl: She appears in Scene 3 as another minor and flat character. She is seen as a potential temptation to the Prophet, Jeroboam. 

( 9 ) Town Council: They are councilors who divide the beach among the prophets. They only appear in Scene 1. They are also considered minor and flat characters. 

( 10 ) The Crowd: They are the bystanders to the argument between Chume and his wife, Amope, in Scene 4. They are also minor and flat characters.

                          THEMES

Theme is the subject matter of a play or any other work of art. It's also refers to the central message where the main message is discussed. The themes of the play are grouped into two category. The major themes which entails the central idea of the play and the minor themes.

                 MAJOR THEMES

( 1 ) Theme of Religious Hypocrisy:  According to the interpretation of  "Matt.23:3" that hypocrisy is the failure to practice what you preach.  Britannica Dictionary defined hypocrisy: "as a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs". However, this is the central and major theme of the play, and it circles around the main character, Brother Jero. Jero exemplifies religious leaders who don't act according to the scriptural teachings. They preach against what they themselves do, and prohibit their congregation from doing what they themselves are doing. They are people who can't be trusted with the word of God. Chume, on several occasions, seeks Jero's permission to beat his wife. At first Jero refused for the simple reason he didn't want Chume to leave. By having Chume in his fold, he would be benefiting from the man. At last, Jero allowed Chume to beat his wife, Amope because he wanted him to rid of his creditor (Amope). He fooled many people into believing his false prophecies, that God had showed him miraculous things that would happen to an individual e.g. being promoted , or in the case of female member in his church, becoming pregnant. His prophecies were well planned and targeted. For instance, he was aware of the mind of the Member of the Parliament who was having the ambition to become a Minister of War. He coincidentally approaches the man while practicing a political speech and then catches him into his trapp of deception.

( 2 ) Theme of Corruption: Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines corruption as " dishonest or illegal behavior, especially by powerful people ( such as government officials or police officers)". Another definition from the same dictionary is "a departure from the original  or from what is pure or correct." Brother Jero exemplifies religious leaders who hide behind their religious titles to engage in activities meant to benefit themselves. His dishonest dealings is manifested when he deceives people he has been shown by the Almighty that they will receive miracles, especially his well-known predictive sensation, promotion to higher official position. What the people don't know is that Jero is not a true prophet. He uses the title of the prophet to enlarge his territory so that he doesn't lack material gains. Jero has deviated (departed) from what  is expected of a prophet-cum-preacher. He treats his occupation as a trader, and his church members as customers.

( 3 ) Theme of Domestic Violence: Not only do religious leaders preach and teach what the word of the Almighty One says, but also offer counseling to couples  when faced with internal conflicts. Brother Jero knows  it's not biblically right for a man to beat his wife. It doesn't  translate to love and respect. However, he allows  Chume to beat his wife so that his selfish desires would be fulfilled ( getting rid of his creditor, Amope). It shows how religious leaders might contribute to gender violence  or abuse. Also, the playwright highlights the lack of love and respect that permeates in many homes. Men resort to beating  their wives to bring them under their submission. They regard themselves as above their women which brings out another misconception idea that women are a weaker sex. This is evident in the play where Chume asks Brother Jero to allow to beat his wife who has been on his neck for a long time.

( 4 ) Theme of Gullibility: The word gullibility means a tendency to be easily persuaded that something is real or true. 

However, the worshippers of Jero are gullible people, people with a naive minds that easily got persuaded by a person with full knowledge. They do not understand that Jero is a liar, womanizer and exploiter. They trust and believe in him as an honest leader. They fail to detect lies and truth from him something that has kept them

to be Jero’s customers for a long time. First, Chume, who follows Brother Jero blindly to cause more problem for himself in his household. With self made idea, Jero refuses him from beating his wife, Amope, who harasses him with  stubbornness. He adheres to the words of the prophet thinking it is truely the decision of God. Then the same prophet who restricted from beating the wife, gave a permission that he can now beat her, using the same face of God to persuade him. Another gullibility character is the Member of the Parliament who also got trapped by Brother Jero with a false prophecy to make him a Minister of War. He was also persuaded by Brother Jero to believe in his lies and becomes a new member of his church. 

( 5 ) Theme of Materialism: Materialism is a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values. Brother Jero's address to the audience , and the unfolding events in the play , paint a gleam of light on the materialistic nature of religious leaders and worshipers. Religious leaders have turned church into a business as depicted by Jeroboam who regards the worshipers as his customers, and himself as their shopkeeper. The worshipers attend church to solely receive materialistic blessing, the Biblical logic whether that is the only reason of attending a church. This is the reason why Jero refers to his profession as a trade. He tricks them into believing they will be enriched by the Almighty One, promoted to higher official position, or receive a miracle they are in need of. Finally, the worshipers are halting their attendance in church to be immersed in the extravagance of life. They no longer want to follow the way of the Almighty One. Jero reveals to the audience, that he makes the people dissatisfied so that they can come back to his church to seek for satisfaction. He was against allowing Chume to beat his wife. He knew if he allowed Chume to do so, Chume will stop attending his church. Those who their needs were met no longer found going to church an important things to do. They regards it as a waste of their time there.

                       MINOR THEMES

( 1 ) Theme of Exploitation: According to Kal Marx " exploitation is the act of using someone unfairly for your own advantage".

 Brother Jero exploits his followers. He calls them “my customers” because they give him money in terms of “offerings to God”. He fools them that he does not have a house to live in while the fact of the matter is that he owns a standard house. He uses Chume just for his own advantage.

( 2 ) Theme of Betrayal: The word betrayal is the act of violating a person's trust or confidence of a moral standard, etc.

Brother Jero betrays his fellows. He betrays the Old prophet by chasing him out of his land at the beach. He also betrays his fellow worshippers who trust him as a true prophet. Jero also betrays Amope by refusing to pay back her money as he promised. He again betrays Chume by advising him to beat his wife saying

that it is God’s will which Chume later discovered that it was just for his own interest. 

( 3 ) Theme of Oppression: The word oppression simply refers to the act of having a control over another. To examine this theme in the play, Amope is oppressed by Jero. He takes her tolerance, patience and her status as a woman to oppress her. He refuses to pay back her money which he owes her at the right time because he believes that a woman is weak.

( 4 ) Theme of Conflict: In drama, conflict is the struggle or a strong disagreement between two or more characters. To examine this theme, there are many levels of conflicts that happened in the play. 

Soyinka has discussed different controversies that arise as a result of the kind of religion introduced in Africa which brought both hopes and disappointments. Those who were thought to be the men of God and gospel light bearers have turned out to be the very wolves in a sheep’s

clothing. Brother Jero is the main source of conflicts in the play. Most of the conflicts addressed in the play are

personal conflicts involving the following

individuals:

First, a conflict between Brother Jero and the Old prophet. This conflict happens when Brother Jero decides to chase away

the old prophet from his territory at the beach. In the course of this, the Old prophet curses him which he ignores.

Another conflict in the play is between Brother Jero and Amope. The conflict errupts when Jero refuses to pay back

Amope’s money. He bought a velvet cape from Amope on credit but he refuses to pay the money. This leads Amope to

camp at Jero’s house and swears not to leave the house until she gets back her money.

Also, there is a  conflict between Amope and the Woman trader. This conflict occurred when Amope stopped the woman trader who was passing by, claiming to buy fish but eventually

started lamenting that fishes were rotten. This made the trader angry and as a result they exchanged insults for a while.

There is another conflict between a woman and the Drummer boy. The conflict occurred when the twoman accused the

drummer boy of abusing her father using the drum. She chases the drummer boy and gets his drums and the boy follows her pleading for the return of his drums back.

A conflict between Amope and her husband, Chume. The conflict erupted when Chume tried to force his wife to go

home but she refused. They quarrel in front of Jero’s house to the extent that neighbours gather round to witness it. Chume fails to take her home. He later discovers that he was tricked by Brother Jero and he leaves his wife and go after Brother Jero.

Finally, there is a  conflict between Chume and Brother Jero. This conflict occurs when Chume discovers that Jero

allowed him to beat his wife only for his (Jero's)  interests. Chume becomes suspicious that Amope and Jero are having an affair. He angrily goes to the beach and chases Jero away. Jero goes to the police post and arranges with the police that Chume should be imprisoned for one year.

( 5 ) Theme of Courage: The word courage simple refers to the ability to control fear and to be willing to deal with something that is dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant.

This could be seen in the character of Amope. However, Amope is portrayed as strong and courageous woman. She decides to fight for her rights by camping at Jero’s house until he pays her money. This is a great courage and commitment that women should have when fighting for their rights.

                  LITERARY TECHNIQUES

( 1 ) Dramatic Irony: Dramatic Irony is a situation whereby a character is ignorant of his action, while the audience understand the actual situation of what is happening on the stage. This creates an effect of foolishness in the side of the character because he is completely lost in ignorance. Examples of dramatic irony in the play, The Trials of Brother Jero are:

( i ) Chume was ignorant of the fact that Brother Jero does not stay in the beach as he claimed and also ignorant to beat his wife, thinking it was truely a will of God. 

( ii ) The Member of Parliament also became ignorant that Brother Jero was not taken away by the angels.

( 2 ) Monologue: It is the act of talking to oneself without interruption. Actors engage in monologue as to pave way for the next line of action. Monologue gives a revelation of the actor's mind. The play, The Trials of Brother Jero starts with a monologue in which Brother Jero addresses the audience directly introducing himself as a prophet from birth.

( 3 ) Aside: Aside is a situation when a character makes a snappy remark to an audience especially when the play is in progress on stage. To examine this technique in the play, the main character,  Brother Jero, uses aside in which cases he addresses the audience directly and goes back to play his part. For example when he sees a Member of the Federal House he says “Now he…he is already a member of my flock. He does not know it of course, but he is a follower. All I need to do is claim him. Call him and say to him, My dear member of the House, your place awaits you…or do you doubt it? Watch

me go to work on him ” (pp 29). This was a direct address or a  snappy remark to the audience.

( 4 ) Language or Diction: It refers to the choice of words used by a writer to convey his idea.  It has been argued by some critics that perhaps The Trials of Brother Jero is the only popular comedy by Wole Soyinka that has used a simple language of the masses (Osoba, 2014). He has also

made use of idiosyncratic variation perhaps to stress a point of ignorance and awareness within one person. Chume speaks Standard English when he converses with his wife but when he

talks to Brother Jero he speaks Pidgin English. This might have been done deliberately to show that the linguistic variation within the same person signifies his state of awareness when he is at home and ignorance when he is at the church.

That is perhaps why when he finally discovers the truth about his Prophet he says “For two years ‘e no let me beat that woman. Why? No because God no like ‘am. That one no fool me any more. ‘E no be man of God” (pp 31). Several figures of speech have also been employed not only to colour the work but also to help Soyinka communicate his message across.

                     

( 5 ) Symbolism: It is a word or an image that stand for something other than a literary meaning. The playwright has used his characters symbolically to represent the many types of people we have in our contemporary societies.

 Brother Jero represents all the false and corrupt prophets emerging in African

continent with the aim of exploiting the ignorant masses.

Chume ; (the antagonist) represents those faithful and ignorant masses that are exploited by the prophets just as customers. They make the prophets richer and richer but they remain poorer and poorer.

Amope; represents those few who are aware of the fact that these prophets are phoney prophets thus untrustworthy. Thus she represents the exploited individuals in the society who are enlightened have come to realise the real men behind the mask and cannot be easily deceived.

Daughters of discord/Daughters of Eve ; are used to represent all dishonest and unfaithful women who ruin men’s lives and bring their downfall.

The Velvet Cape ; has been used not only as a symbol of wealth exploited from the masses by the prophets but also as a mask behind which the prophet has camouflaged himself to hide his real identity.

Brother Jero’s house; is a symbol of the wealth robbed from the ignorant worshippers and stored secretly. The Prophet presents himself as a poor and humble man of God who has nowhere to

sleep except the beach while in fact he as a very nice house at Ajete Settlement.

Chume’s bicycle . This is used as a symbol of poverty in the play. Those rich guys drive cars but the poor like Chume can only afford the bicycle.

The television . In this play the television is used as a symbol of spiritual hypocrisy. The rich people whom Jero refers to as “ our wealthier patrons ” are symbolised by the television which, the worshippers, being worldly, stay at home and watch instead of attending the church services.

These are Nicodemus Christians because they go for consultations at a time that they wouldn’t be recognised which shows that they know it is wrong to visit such places. This is hypocrisy.

( 6 ) The Use of Allusion:  

It is an act of making reference either to events, person, society or history. In literature, we have two major allusions. Vize classical an biblical allusion. There are biblical allusions that are used in the play to place the play in its real context.

( a ) The brotherhood of Jehu, the Cherubims and seraphims, the Sisters of Judgement day, the heavenly cowboys…(p.2)

( b ) This woman whom you so desire to beat is your cross –bear it well. (p.15)

( c )  This is holy ground ( takes off his shoes and sits ) (p.32).

( 7 ) Metaphor: Metaphor is a figure of speech that shows indirect comparison of two objects with another.

Examples used in the play, The Trials of Brother Jero are:

(a)  My life is a hell (Here, Chume compares his life with an object  (pp 23)

(b)  And I grew to love the trade. (prophetic ministry is compared to a trade) (pp 1)

(c) I am glad I got here before my customers – I mean worshippers – well customers if you like. (pp 11) (worshippers are compared to customers)

(d) Tear this love for the Daughters of Eve. (p.12) (He calls women the daughters of Eve)

(e) Women are a plague brother. (pp 20) ( women are compared to a plague)

(f)  Poor fish ( he refers to the member of the Federal House as a poor fish) (p.29)

(8) Personification: It is a figure of speech that represent an inanimate object or abstract notion that has posses the attribute of a person. That's nonoe living object is performing the function of a human. 

Example used in the play, The Trials of Brother Jero is:

(a) No scandal has ever touched my name

(9) Climax: Climax is the peak of action or the high tensional point where the conflict is close or near to an end.  In the play, The Trials of Brother Jero, the climax is seen when Chume finds out about Brother Jero being the debtor owing his wife in Scene 4 while trying to adhere the instruction given by Brother Jero to take his wife home and beat her. It was through this process that he discovers his ignorance of being used by Jero and then angrily wanted to kill him in Scene 5.

( 10 ) Suspense: It's a situation whereby the audience is kept waiting for the next actions that hook with expectations and anxieties. It creates a serious anticipation in a work of art. An instance from the play could be made by looking at the character, Chume who eagerly anticipated to beat his wife. This was not just the character involved but the audience too was anticipating to see how he ends up beating her.  There's another suspense could be seen with the audience who was curious to see how Chume uncages from his Ignorance of Brother Jero who took advantage of him.

Resolution: In literature resolution is the final point of actions where the conflict is finally settled or come to an end. According to the play, the resolution came out at the point where Chume discovered his Ignorance of Brother Jero and reacted by wanting to kill him in the final scene, Scene 5. He came to the beach with cutlass and started chasing Brother Jero while him (Brother Jero) was praying for a new convert.

                      SETTING

Setting is the physical environment or place in which a play is set. It includes the time in which the action of a work takes place. Generally, setting in drama refers to the element through which one knows the location and period within which a dramatic work takes place. The setting of the play, The Trials of Brother Jero is Lagos, Nigeria. 

  

             THE PLAY AS A COMEDY

First, comedy is a performance of light and humorous character with a happy or cheerful ending. In short, comedy makes people laugh. It is made up for entertainment of audience. The main motif of a comedy is the victory over adverse circumstances, which results in a happy and successful ending. The play, The Trials of Brother Jero is a pure comedy. It is a comedy because through its use of comic characters, the  audience was amused with happiness and laughter. One of these comic characters is Chume. Chume entertains the audience with amusement through his use of wit, humour and colloquial language. The audience was captured in this amusement, especially when he joined Brother Jero who is also a comic character by imitating him while praying to God in the beach.

          WHY IS THE PLAY A SATIRE

First, Satire is a work of art that ridicules the foolish action of a person or society. It is didactic in nature in that it teaches both moral and sociol lesson but in a mocking process. According to Dr. Rasheeda Akanbi: "satire are types of comedy which serve as a corrective purposes while they make people laugh. Satire are plays or prose writing which make people laugh and they are humourous in nature. Most satiric writing exposes societal ills and vices in the society inorder to profer corrective method. Writers put bad people in front of the audience so that people can deviate from such behavior and learn in the society. It also criticize bad policy of government, leaders, religious and political leaders."

Wole Soyinka’s play, The Trials of Brother Jero, is a satire which pokes fun at religious hypocrisy in Contemporary Nigeria. Soyinka’s interest is to use it as a potent weapon to mock political and religious shortcomings, expose and analyze the egoistic tendencies of some people  who are entrusted with the mandate of leading the masses. The playwright’s concern is to enumerate the relevance of satire for the correction of socio political ills of his own country  

which he considers as the microcosm of the macrocosm. He holds the psychology of people who think that their needs can only be satisfied by religion to ridicule. Thus in the form of a charlatan preacher called Brother Jero, he makes him preach to his followers whom he calls “customers”  on Bar Beach in Lagos, Nigeria, in their lust for materialism.  

Brother Jero is presented to the reader as a rogue who manipulates and keeps his “gullible”  followers in a subservient position for he is able to read from their minds what they long for:  money, social status and power. Thus when the play opens, we see Brother Jero claiming that 

he is a “prophet by birth and by inclination” and tries as much as possible to convince people  that although there many prophets they are not at all the same.The prophet, then, uses a pun to  show that the more prophets there are the more different they are. Thus, he states: “eggs is  eggs” which means in English “they’re all the same”; but this he denies and sustains. Really, as he says he is different from other prophets. He keeps people dissatisfied for once they  are satisfied they will leave him. He believes that as long as they are unhappy, worried and dissatisfied, they will continually seek his service for prophesying. This is contrary to the  message of freedom and choice that Christianity spells to its followers. Brother Jero’s philosophy of keeping people dissatisfied and helpless does not conform to basic Christian ethics.

Wole Soyinka uses the protagonist to show that the attitude of some religious leaders negate to a greater extent what they preach. For instance, the exploitative manner of the prophet is contained in the expression of calling his followers “customers” and he himself, a “shopkeeper”. The first victim of this system is the old prophet under whose tutelage he grew. In fact, he pretends to help the old man acquire land on the beach, but denies him the same land.  

Helpless and frustrated, he cursed him for his ungratefulness: “Ingrate! Monster! I curse you with the curse of the Daughters of Discord. May they be your downfall. May the daughters of Eve bring ruin down on your head!”.The narrator in these words shows the reader that the pretentious and exploitative manner of the prophet lies in his relationship with his followers.

THE TOOLS OF SATIRE USED IN THE PLAY

( 1 ) The Use of  Irony: Irony is an element or tool of satire that is purely opposite in meaning. The writer use this device to say something that is contrary in his mind hoping that the real meaning will be understood by the audience. Irony is an important element  employed by the playwright to make the audience laugh hysterically. The irony contributes in

making the play farcical, as the audience has better opportunities to laugh at the characters when they are making their mistakes. An example of such irony is when Jero declares that he is a born prophet because of his luxurious hair. The hair gives him the air of a religious saviour- an aura which only prophets have. The hair is actually comical-looking and

part of his garb (disguise) as a parson. The audience laugh at Jero’s claims because to be a prophet, one has to possess special qualities, instead of physical similarities to previous

prophets. He does not deserve the title of a prophet, but imposes it on himself. Another example of  irony is when he calls himself ‘Imaculate' (clean and pure) which is a complete falsehood. His words do not match his actions, and the audience knows about this. Hence, Jero condemns himself to be a grotesquely laughable character with his own boasts. 

( 2 ) The Use of  Sarcasm: In literature, sarcasm is a painful remark meant to hurt somebody in disguise of praising the person. This satirical element is used in the play to attack the main character who claimed to be a prophet of God while he is not, and then the caricature was in a hiding form of praising him as a prophet.

( 3 ) The Use of Hyperbole: It is the overstatement or exaggeration of words. For instance, in the play, Chume gives an exaggerated importance to Jero. He sees him as his saviour , that is, the same position that Jesus hold in Christianity. There is also an exaggerated belief of Brother on his hairs. To him, the hairs are what make a prophet for they carry the whole world.

( 4 ) The Use of Humour: This satiric element is achieved when the audience is amused with proceeding scenic action on stage. The humour could be examined by first looking at the language use of Chume who uses colloquial language to entertain the audience with laughter. Also looking at the main character, Brother Jero, who jumps out of window with the plan of escaping his creditor, Amope, and this was a pure comical development that invokes the audience with serious amusement and laughter. I can say that all the characters are humorous in nature to make the audience laugh. For instance, when Amope was forced by her husband to go home to receive her beating, she comically calls on Brother Jero, telling him she has forgiven him his debt but should help her to curse her husband, Chume. 

( 5 ) The Use of Wit: Wit is the use of clever statements or based statements in order to pass judgment on a situation and make the listener/reader laugh. These statements are usually insightful in a clever and unusual way. They can mark out a speaker ’s intelligence and be used to prove one’s insight into a situation. Witty statements are usually not planned and therefore seen as even more

impactful. An instance could be made by looking at the drummer boy who was accused of using his drum to insult a woman in a mocking manner. Also Amope's insult to the fish seller.

( 6 ) The Use of Ridicule: It is a satiric tool use to mock wrongdoing of a person, society, or institution. In the play, this satirc element or tool is used to expose the folly or vices in humans, society, or even the government through the main character, Brother Jero who claimed of what he is not.

      VIVID DESCRIPTION OF THE TITLE

The word ‘ trials ’ in the play, The Trials of Brother Jero is used to mean “temptations ”. In other words it is talking about the temptations of different dimensions that

Brother Jero faces in his ministry as a prophet. The title of the play is relevant to its content as the playwright has discussed several trials befalling to the protagonist, Brother Jero. The temptations he gets are from women and from his ministry.  Brother Jero is very fond of women and this has become his greatest weakness as he admits in scene one. “ He knew very well that I had one weakness –women.”(pp 3)

However, the first temptation is from a girl who passes every morning on her way to take a swim . A girl passes sleepily in front of him clothed only in a wrapper going to take a swim. When she comes back she

is clean, wet, with shiny face and hair. Brother Jero follows her with his eyes all the way. Then he tells himself. “Pray Brother Jeroboam, pray! Pray for

strength against temptations”  (pp11)

The second trial is from the woman chasing the drummer boy . Her wrapper was pulled so high that half the length of her thigh is exposed. Brother Jero again

followed the woman’s exposed limbs with quite distressed concentration and he comes suddenly to himself and kneels sharply. (pp 17)

Another trial comes from his assistant Chume who asks for permission to beat his wife . Brother Jero finds it difficult to allow Chume to beat his wife and tells

him it is against the will of God. He encourages Chume to bear it as a cross telling him that she was his trial sent from heaven. “ She is your heaven-sent trial–lay not your hand on her” (pp15) He also faces trials from the prophesies he gives to people. He is careful to tell only those prophesies that have a probability of coming true so that they may continue believing in him. For example he says he prophesied that one man will be made a

chief in his home town. He says “ that is a very safe prophesy. As safe as out most popular prophesy, that a man will live to be eighty. If it doesn’t come true ” (pp15).

When he is in need of customers he tells even impossible prophesies. He for instance tells one man that he will be the first Prime minister of the new Mid-North-East State – when it is created. Then he admits that “that was a risky prophesy of mine, but I badly needed more worshippers around that time.” (pp 16)

       

         MORAL LESSONS OF THE PLAY

( 1 ) One of the lessons is that we should not blindly follow religious beliefs without

being aware of them. Jero’s followers are blindly following whatever is said to them by their prophet whether right or wrong.

( 2 )  A modern woman should not depend on her husband fornher daily basic needs. Amope is a good example in this aspect. She  should not also sit at home bearing and taking care of children, instead she should be active and

hardworking as Amope and the Woman trader are.

( 3 )  Worshippers should beware of fake, false and deceitful prophets like Brother Jero. They should build their faith with God not on any prophet who they don't know his original colour

( 4 ) Wife beating is not a best solution to solve a family conflict. It is better for the concerned parties to sit down, sort out issues and arrive at a common consensus that benefits both sides. 

( 5 ) Ignorance is a motivating factor for exploitation. People should be aware of what is going on in the society to avoid being exploited blindly.

( 6 ) Betrayal is not good in our society. It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.

                        SECOND PLAY

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Text title: The Jero's Metamorphosis

Author: Wole Soyinka

Genre type: Play

Play type: Comedy

Year of publication: 1966

 

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        Contents

( 1 ) Summary of the play

( 2 ) Plot summary

( 3 ) Characters

( i ) Major

( ii ) Minor

( 4 ) Themes

( i ) Major

( ii ) Minor

( 5 ) Literary techniques

( 6 ) Setting

( 7 ) The play as a comedy

( 8 ) The play as a satire 

( i ) The tools of satire used in the play

SUMMARY OF THE PLAY

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               The Lion and the Jewel

__________________________________________

Author: Wole Soyinka

Genre type: Play

Play type: Comedy

Year of publication: 1963

__________________________________________

         Contents

( 1 ) Briefly introduction of the play

( 2 ) Significant features of the play       structure

( 3 ) Plot summary

( 4 ) Characters

( i ) major

( ii ) minor

( 5 ) Themes

( 6 ) Literary techniques

( 7 ) Setting

( 8 ) The significance of the use of songs,        dance and drums in the play

   BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF THE PLAY

The play, The Lion and the Jewel is a simple play that addresses the conflict between modernity and tradition as it was played out in post-colonial Nigeria. The play brings to light a young beautiful character in the person of Sidi and her suitor, Lakunle. Though, not fully in love with Lakunle, she however, acceptd to marry him if only he can do the needful by  paying her bride price as required in marriage tradition. At the end, there is a reversal in that Sidi is finally married to Baroka after serial romantic contest with Lakunle.

SIGNIFICANT FEATURE OF THE  PLAY STRUCTURE              

The play x-rays a day in life of three Yoruba villagers. The plot does not follow a conventional dramatic division of acts and scene. Rather, the play is divided into three segment, that's Morning, Noon and Night. Each period within the day weaves up into the plot of the play. All the actions are lumped into a single day. In the morning, Lakunle accosts Sidi as she passes by his school, Sadiku tries to woo Sidi to Baroka at noon; by night, Sidi has been lured to Baroka to be deflowered and married.

                PLOT SUMMARY

The play, The Lion and the Jewel is set at the Nigerian Yoruba village of Ilujinle. The play has a chronological causal plot. The actions take place in one day as the division is made by starting the actions from morning to noon and ends at night:

MORNING:  At center stage is a schoolhouse, where children reciting their times tables can be heard through an open window. A beautiful young woman, Sidi, appears on stage with a pail of water balanced on her head. Immediately, the schoolmaster, Lakunle, rushes out to help her, warning that carrying heavy loads on her head will shorten her neck. He also chastises Sidi for walking around with her shoulders exposed. Sidi laughs and says that it shouldn't matter what she looks like because Lakunle has sworn to love her forever.

The conversation turns to Lakunle's longstanding marriage proposal. He has been begging Sidi to marry him, but she won't consider his proposal until he pays her bride-price, a tradition in their village. Lakunle, who has been educated in the capital and believes himself to be a modern man, refuses. 

As they argue, a village girl runs in shouting for Sidi. She announces that the foreign man who had visited their village previously has returned. Through the confused conversation it's revealed that a foreigner stopped in their village when his car broke down. He took photographs of the villagers and returns now with the book he made of the photographs. The girl reports that a gorgeous photograph of Sidi has been used on the cover, which has made the Bale both proud and envious. A photograph of Baroka himself was included, but it made him look small and old, standing next to the village latrine. Sidi delights that she is "more important even than the Bale. / More famous than that panther of the trees." 

Sidi calls excitedly to dance "the dance of the lost Traveler," in which they act out a 

retelling of the photographer's arrival. She casts Lakunle as the traveler himself. Drummers strike up a beat, and the dancers swirl around Lakunle, transporting the audience back in time to witness the traveler's arrival. Although he had resisted playing along at the start, Lakunle quickly gets into the role, not even noticing when the Bale arrives. His presence breaks up the dance, with Lakunle the last to notice. Sidi excitedly rushes toward the village square to find the traveler himself. As she leaves, the Bale laments that it's been five months since he last took a wife.

NOON: Sidi appears on stage holding the photography book, engrossed in her own image. Lakunle follows behind carrying firewood. Sadiku, Baroka's first wife—an old woman with a shawl over her head—enters from the other side of the stage and greets Sidi, startling her out of her reverie. She wastes no time speaking the Bale's proposal: he would like to take Sidi as his wife. Lakunle rushes forward in protest, but Sidi silences him and laughs in Sadiku's face. Sidi continues praising her own beauty, stroking the photographs, bragging that she's far too beautiful for Baroka, whom she compares to "a leather piece."

Shocked at Sidi's disrespect toward the chief, Sadiku storms off but quickly circles back, saying that Baroka anticipated that Sidi might turn down his proposal but hopes that she will join him for dinner that evening anyway. Sidi claims to know all about Baroka's "little suppers," where beautiful women come to dine and end up "his wife or concubine."

Lakunle adds that they must call Baroka "the Fox" for something. Sadiku tries to defend the Bale against these "lies," but Lakunle won't stop. He says that Baroka wants everything his own way, which is why he refuses to modernize the village. He remembers hearing a story of prospectors trying to build a road near the village that would have created easy trade with Lagos, but Baroka paid them to move the road elsewhere.

The scene changes to Baroka's bedroom, where one of his wives, called "The Favorite," plucks his armpit hairs. Baroka gently criticizes his wife's method of hair plucking, complaining that she doesn't rub his armpit long enough before plucking and that her pull is too gentle. He says she shouldn't worry about hurting "the panther of the trees." When the favorite promises to improve, Baroka tells her not to bother. He'll have a new wife soon to take over this task. 

Just then, Sadiku arrives. The favorite is dismissed, and Sadiku delivers the news that Sidi has refused Baroka's proposal. At first Baroka rages that a girl such as Sidi should be grateful to have the attention of such a manly man. He lists his recent physical accomplishments, such as log-tossing and leopard hunting, but then sinks to the bed. 

NIGHT: Sadiku enters the village center with a statue of Baroka. She sets it down and bursts into laughter, taunting and mocking the statue, saying, "We scotched you." She dances and mocks, calling him a "fool" just like his father. Sidi enters and demands to know what Sadiku is up to. Sadiku gives a cryptic answer and calls for Sidi to join her in the "victory dance" because "every woman" has won today. When Sidi remains confused, Sadiku confides Baroka's secret. Sidi laughs and cheers alongside Sadiku, shouting, Sidi stops her laughing and dancing long enough to propose playing a trick on Baroka. When she leaves, Sadiku mocks Lakunle for not being man enough to pay Sidi's bride-price. Lakunle retorts with a long list of modernizations, including banishing bride-prices, that he will bring to their village.

The scene changes to Baroka's bedroom, where he sits poised with a hired wrestler before a match. In the distance Sidi's voice can be heard. She comes closer and closer before startling everyone by walking right into the Bale's bedroom. At first Baroka greets her roughly, startled by her rude entrance, but he eventually warms to her presence. Sidi appears more nervous in the Bale's presence than she thought she would be, making boldly flirtatious remarks and then cowering under his sharp remarks. When Sidi asks about his proposal, Baroka pretends not to know what she's talking about, which knocks Sidi's cconfidence Eventually, Baroka admits that he did indeed ask for her hand in marriage and that Sidi is welcome to visit with him. He complains that he must hire new wrestlers whenever he learns how to best them, just as he must marry new wives whenever he learns to "tire" them.

As he talks, he and the wrestler engage in an arm-wrestling match at the table. Baroka tries to highlight some of his better qualities—his kindness to animals, his hunting prowess, and his frugality. 

Changing the subject, Baroka pulls a strange-looking machine from beside his bed and shows it to Sidi. It's a stamp maker. Baroka continues, patting Sidi gently on the head. He says that until now, Sidi has done all her learning with Lakunle but that he has things to teach her, too. He claims that the old and new generations must learn from each other. Enraptured by Baroka's words, Sidi lays her head on his shoulder.

In the village square Lakunle and Sadiku wait for Sidi's return. Lakunle grows anxious, fearing that Baroka has killed Sidi, but Sadiku pays him no attention. Dancers and street performers arrive, making the scene somewhat chaotic. Sadiku teases that they must have heard the news about Baroka, and she reaches into Lakunle's pockets for money to pay them. 

Sidi bursts into the scene, sobbing, and throws herself to the ground. Shocked, Sadiku and Lakunle rush toward her, but Sidi warns them, "Get away from me. Do not touch me." Then in anger, Sidi lifts her head and calls them fools. She tells them that Bale lies to Sadiku and he is very funny; he plays the trick knowing fully well that Sadiku will not keep the story of his impotence to herself. The Lion tricks her and he is not impotent. He rapes Sidi and breaks her virginity. 

Sidi runs off stage, and Lakunle congratulates himself for finding another way around paying the bride-price. But when Sidi returns, she's dressed for a wedding. Then Sadiku informs Lakunle who claims to be making a great sacrifice to marry Sidi after her ordeal, that Sidi is about to wed with Baroka. Lakunle is confused and adds that there is no need for him. In a short while, a crowd and musicians arrive with Sidi who is lovely dressed in rich attire. Sidi laughs as she hands the magazine to Lakunle. She says that she is getting ready to marry Baroka because it is the only option she has. Sadiku comes over and blesses her. She asks the gods for fertility as Sidi kneels before her. The musicians continue to play and sings in a high festive mood. A young girl shakes her buttocks at Lakunle. The school teacher runs after her.

                      CHARACTERS

Sidi: Sidi is the heroine of the play play as everything circles around her. She is the symbolic jewel in the play and a custodian of African tradition. She is a beautiful young woman of about eighteen years old. She is referred to as the village belle of Ilujinle and she is described as a slim girl with plaited hair (p. 1). Both Lakunle and Baroka are seriously dying for her in the name of love. Sidi's initial engagement with Lakunle is thwarted by his rejection of paying her bride price. She became much popular when her beautiful pictures in the magazine are celebrated by all and sundry in the village. She is greatly absorbed in the magazine that carries her pictures that are fantastically beautiful. Side loves to live by her decision and let no man to force her to unfollow it. It can be said that she is a simplistic young woman with a fierce spirit. She rejects every notion that justifies the inferiority of women as she remains a good defender and promote of African womanhood. To an extent, she is not particularly intelligent, especially on the way she is deceived by the lion, Baroka. Her simple mindedness and flexibility on sensitive secrets without digging deep to ascertain the truth is a gross moral flaw.

Lakunle: Lakunle is one of the major characters as he exists fully in the play. He is school teacher in Ilujinle village. He is a smart young man of about twenty-three years old but arrogant. He harshly criticizes Ilujinle for its backward views based on its old or outdated made up. He is Sidi's suitor with a pressure to marry her but rejected her demand of paying her bride price before becoming his wife. He criticizes her for being an old fashioned woman by carrying a water on her head, showing her body to people to see and her blindness of following the traditional demands of paying her bride price. Indeed, he is a village outsider with modern ideas. He wears twenty-three-inch botton trousers and blanco-white tennis shoes. He is lured by Sidi and other village girls to play the role Lagos visitor since his strange outlook is similar to that of the visitor. He ends up not marrying Sidi.

Baroka: Baroka is another major character in the play. He is the lion and Bale of Ilujinle village. He is a lascivious old man who lies and deceives Sidi in order to rape her. As a master strategist in lying, he invented fake stories of modernization and development just to lure Sidi to bed. His false claim of impotence before Sadiku is a mere destructive ploy he intentionally uses to perpetuate his immoral escape against Sidi. He flatters Sidi's mind with his subtle compliments and the stamp machine that can putatively issue stamp to the villagers bearing Sidi's image. He is surrounded by many wives and still not satisfied so wanting to add more as he put eyes on Sidi. According to Lakunle, that Baroka holds back the plans back railway because he does not want civilization to disrupt his comfortable life. He is clever and witty, as well as boastful self-indulgent.

Sadiku:  Sadiku is also a major character in the play. She is Baroka's first wife. According to the play, she represents the population of uneducated villagers and this reflects in her dialogues. She is about seventy years old. Sadiku's weakness is her inability to keep secret. She takes the responsibility of wooing new wives for Baroka. Ironically, Baroka calls Sadiku his most faithful wife yet he knows Sadiku cannot keep his secret. She betrays Baroka’s trust by celebrating and spreading the rumours about his lost manhood which leads to Sidi’s misfortune.

                   Minor Characters

The Wrestler: He is Baroka's henchman. The role of the wrestler is to help Baroka in his regular exercise to keep fit.

Favourite: She is Baroka's current favourite wife who is tasked with plucking out his armpit hairs. She tries to please him, but she is informed by Baroka that she has no time to improve her affection because he is taking a new wife.

The Stranger: He is photographer who came to Ilujinle and tool many photos of the village and it's inhabitants. He was captivated by Sidi and published images of her that are stunningly beautiful.

Surveyor: He is an outsider, a white man who is planning to build road through the village. He is heading building of a railway through the village. He was bribed by Baroka to abandon the project.

                            THEMES

 Theme of Cultural Conflict: One of the major or central themes of the play is the clash or conflict between traditional Yoruba customs and western culture. This is seen in the conflicts between Sidi and Lakunle and between Baroka and  Lakunle. Lakunle represents the modern Nigerian man, while Sidi and Baroka represent the Yoruba tradition. First, Sidi conflicts with Lakunle over his condemnation of her for being a traditional woman. He criticizes her by saying that she is old fashioned because of the way she dresses, carrying water on her head because that is how traditional women do and then her wanting of him to pay her bride-price first before becoming his wife as the tradition demands. But Lakunle opposes Sidi and calls the tradition outdated and barbaric which causes his first failure to win her heart. Also, Baroka is a traditional man who sees civilization by the modern world as a way of destruction. To him, allowing civilization to the Yoruba land is like washing away the old life they live and enjoy.  He is an advocate and custodian of tradition. Because of his strong believe and  preservation of the tradition, Lakunle conflicts with him because he sees him as a retrogressive to Ilujinle village.

Theme of Trickery and Falsehood: The four major characters in the play are all pathological liers. The manipulation of other characters through falsehood and trickery by fellow characters to achieve their selfish aims is noticeable in the play. For instance, Sidi and Sadiku nurture an evil plot to disgrace and torture Baroka because of his self professed impotency. The plan works against them as Sidi is deflowered by Baroka. Another element of trickery and falsehood is found in the person of Baroka who falsely claims to be impotent before Sadiku in order to execute his ploy against Sidi. Again, Baroka plays on Sidi's intelligence with unrealistic promises of using his image as a stamp bearer of his people coupled with high sounding stories of development. It is out of trickery and falsehood that Sidi finally succumbs to Baroka and eventually becomes one of his wives. Lakunle also devises cunning ideas and tactics aimed at derailing the innocent mind of Sidi out of falsehood in disguise of modernization. He tries to deceive Sidi to marry her without paying her bride price. 

Theme of Self Assumption/ Self Satisfaction: As the village belle, Sidi is highly satisfied in herself. She knows her worth is tied to her beauty, and waste no time reminding Lakunle and other villagers that she is beautiful. However, when the stranger captures Sidi's beauty on film and returns to Ilujinle with photographys, Sidi's self assumption grows highly. Glories in her photographys and says Baroka only wants her because she is famous and has brought so much honour to the village.

Theme of Polygamy: In the play, Soyinka portrays the African polygamous society. The marrying of multiple wives is legal in Nigeria and it is a prominent feature of traditional life. Lofts and wives are the criteria of wealth of a person.The tradition allows widow inheritance, in which a man marries the widow of a deceased brother or father. This practice ensures that the woman and her children remain under the economic and social care of the family. Sometimes the successor of dead Bale or chief of the area marries the last and favourite wife of the dead Bale, as his first wife. According to the custom, the first wife of the Bale becomes the senior and receives all honours in the family. Baroka is an old man of about sixty five years but he still wants to add more wives. He plans on wanting to marry Sidi as a new wife and make her his favourite as the old wives are becoming expiring.

Theme of Female Subjugation: The play shows how gender is subjugated in African society. Women are over labored in the society, they carry loads and do all sorts of manual jobs. At the beginning of the play, Sidi is carrying a pail on her head. Lakunle admonishes her that she should not carry things on her head because her neck will be squashed. The female subjugated can also be seen in Sidi, a young lady of her age to be married by a sixty two year old man, Baroka just to boost his ego. 

Theme of Bribery and Corruption:  

Bribery and corruption is portrayed in the play and this is centered on the character of Baroka. When Baroka learns the Ministry of Public Works has sent a surveyor to establish whether a railroad can pass through Ilunjinle, he bribes the white surveyor. They both formed a story which the white surveyor delivers to his superiors that the land is not fit for a railway line to pass through. 

Theme of Beauty: The playwright has portrayed how beauty can threaten the status of an authoritative figure. Sidi’s beauty has spread beyond the village. This was made possible by the Lagos man who captured Sidi’s beauty in different poses. Her images were published in a magazine fulfilling the stranger’s promise to Sidi that the magazine will announce her beauty to the world. Baroka, jealous of Sidi’s rising influence plans how he will silence her by deflowering her. In another scenario, Lakunle dashes out of the class when he notices Sidi through the classroom’s window carrying a bucket of water. Two of his pupils, aged eleven, make a buzzing noise at Sidi, clapping their hands across the mouth.

Theme of Bride Price: Lakunle, the young African man who has embraced western culture considers the traditional customs in his village as barbaric and savage. Even though he loves Sidi, he doesn’t want to pay the bride price. He tells Sidi that paying the dowry is the same as buying a heifer off the market stall. It translates to owning Sidi for she’ll no longer be a life companion but a property to him. However, Sidi is adamant that he has to pay the dowry. She insists she doesn’t want to become the talk in the village. After Baroka succeeds in ‘sleeping’ with Sidi, Lakunle jumps at the opportunity. She’s no longer a virgin therefore he doesn’t have to pay the bride price. 

Theme of Masculinity:  It is viewed according to the play that Soyinka represented male characters as strong, powerful and metaphysically as a lion, a symbol of irresistible power, initiator, doer of something, and commander in chief, the king, while their female counterparts, as represented by Sidi and Sadiku, are represented weak and subdue by the male characters. First, we could examine this in the dialogue between Lakunle and Sidi in which the former attributes the latter’s inability to comprehend what he is saying to the generic inferiority of women. He claims that Sidi, as a woman, has a smaller brain than his. He backs his claim with the fact that it has been scientifically proven that “women have a smaller brain than men”; hence, “they are called the weaker sex". This dialogue is a reference to the male dominant African society and the role of second fiddle women play in the traditional African society. Another pointer to the theme of masculinity is rooted in how the women are manipulated by the men in the text. Sidi for one is influenced by Lakunle’s worldview and later manipulated by the wily village head, Baroka. The Lion and the Jewel portrays the women world as one that can be easily manipulated by the male folks.

Theme of Vanity and Pride: Sidi is the character through whom the theme of vanity and pride is most powerfully portrayed. She is exceptionally proud because she is extraordinarily beautiful. Then the appearance of her image on the cover and pages of the magazine makes Sidi fall easily to the depths of self-glorification. All she cares about now is her beauty and the power and fame it has brought her. So she reminds everyone of it at the least opportunity. This is vanity of the highest order. The playwright makes it clear, through Sidi’s experiences, that vanity is the place you pass just before you arrive at the city of destruction. Another point is, it is not only Sidi that is vain, but Lakunle is equally vain. It is interesting to note that Lakunle’s vanity is also a result of modernization. His western-style education and Christian upbringing have combined to turn him into a total stranger among his own people. 

Theme of Power: There is a good number of motifs relating to the theme of power in The Lion and the Jewel. Looking briefly at the theme of power and the characters who play it out so well, Lakunle will be first discussed of his sense of power. Lakunle considers his foreign or strange ideas and attitudes as a source of personal power. So he can speak in very condescending terms to his fellow villagers. He wastes no time calling Sidia “bush girl” for having problems with kissing which he sees as a form of “civilized romance”. Lakunle even believes that he has the power to bring civilization to Ilujinle. He speaks of

grandiose plans like building roads. Also, Baroka held a sense of power. By virtue of tradition and custom, Baroka is

automatically the most powerful character in the play. He is the chief and is regarded as a Lion. Baroka’s sense of power manifests in so many ways. He has many wives because he can marry any woman on any day. His physical strength, even at the age of 62, is not in doubt. He easily wins a wrestling contest.

Theme of Betrayal: This theme points fingers at Sadiku. Sadiku is Baroka's confidant but she betrayed him by not keeping the secret he shared with her about his impotence.

Theme of Change or Transformation: Change is at the core of much of the action in The Lion and the Jewel. Lakunle is seeking change, not only in his marital status, but also in the way

Ilujinle functions and develops. Sidi is extremely overjoyed at the change the stranger and his magazine have brought into her life. Overnight, she has grown in personal power and popularity. Also, Baroka looks for change as he asks Sadiku to get him a brand new, young wife. And he will go to any length, even if it takes a lie from an otherwise respected village bale like him, to experience the change he craves.

               LITERARY TECHNIQUES

Symbolism: First, the railroad mentioned in "Noon" symbolizes modernization. The railroad would have connected Ilujinle to the bustling capital city of Lagos, allowing for trade, travel, and exposure to  

cosmopolitan ways of life. Baroka bribed the developers to move the railroad elsewhere, thus ensuring that his village maintains its traditional practices and mindsets. To many villagers, including Lakunle, it seems that Baroka rejects all forms modernization, but in reality he rejects modernization that he does not benefit from. This shows how the powerful manipulate their position whether they are embracing tradition or technology. One is not better than the other when corrupted by greed. 

Another symbolism is the Baroka's statue. 

The Baroka statue symbolizes masculinity. The statue was originally created for women, particularly Baroka's wives, to worship. Even Sidi calls Baroka "the living god among men." The statue highlights symbols of his masculinity, such as his muscles and large penis. After he claims  

to be impotent, however, Sadiku uses the imagery to further mock and shame him. She dances around the statue and cheers that she has "scotched" him, meaning that she has sucked the power from him. When Baroka "loses" his ability to perform sexually, he is viewed as less of a man to  

the village women.

The use of Humour: Lakunle is an extremely humorous character, his foible and flaws blatantly on display. First he is extremely arrogant and proud. He is always talking and trying to impress Sidi with his words. When Sidi teases him by asking why he stopped naming synonyms for "savage" he earnestly replies "I only own the shorter companion. Sidi calls him on that saying "you talk and deafen me with words which always sound the same and makes no meaning".

Sarcasm: Sarcasm is greatly used in the play. Lakunle makes use of sarcasm in his first encounter with Sidi. Lakunle looks out the window, then shuts it and comes outside to meet Sidi. Lakunle tries to help Sidi that she ought to cover her shoulders because people look at her and lust after her.

Foreshadowing: This could be examined when Baroka muses to himself at the end of the first act that it has been five months since he took a wife and this foreshadows his plot to have Sidi as a wife.

Flashback: To make the play more interesting, the flashback is much used  in The Lion and the Jewel. The first instance of flashback occurs just after Sidi received news of her pictures being featured in a magazine. Together with her female informants and the cajoled Lakunle , she re-enacts the events that preceded her new-found fame, apparently the coming of a wandering stranger to Ilujinle Village. The flashback is neatly achieved through the accompaniment of drums, improvisations, and mime and imitation. This brings the audience on the same page with the characters. Also it is used in Lakunle’s recalling of how Baroka bribed the white Surveyor to divert a railway track intended to pass through his village elsewhere.

Mime: The play has its fair share of mine which involves facial expression, body movement and gesture. The first use of mime occurs during the recollection of the entry of the stranger to Ilujinle. Much of this is conveyed using bodily movements. From the stranger’s (technically Lakunle’s) handling of the devil horse (automobile), his bewilderment at the mesmerising beauty of Sidi, to being chased by the villagers, to shutters of the periphrastic “one-eyed box” (a camera), etcetera. Although the mime is interrupted by Baroka, this is only brief. He is absorbed into the mimetic exercise in no time to play his role as the Village Head.

Another discernible instance of mime is when Lakunle narrated to the duo of Sidi and Sadiku of how Baroka thwarted the plan for a rail track to course through Ilujinle Village. This action, he attributes to Baroka’s fear that the railway track might usher in ‘civilisation’ that would threaten his authority in the village. The mime, though punctuated by Lakunle’s commentary, shows Baroka, his wrestler, the white Surveyor, prisoners and two warders; it projects their movements and gestures and of course how Baroka bribed the Surveyor with gifts so that the intended railway track would be taken somewhere other than his village.

Allusion: There is allusion used in the play. Lakunle quotes Genesis when he talks of the man and the woman being one flesh (8). The Yoruba gods are alluded to throughout the play.Lakunle references biblical women such as Ruth, Esther, and Bathsheba when talking about Sidi (20).

Soliloquy: It is a situation whereby a character is talking to himself without minding other characters. In the play, there are a few soliloquies. First, Lakunle talking about progress, and then Baroka also talking about his views on progress.

Resolution: It is the final point where the actions have come to an end. This could be examined in the play through when Sidi's decision to marry Baroka has been made, and Lakunle's shifting his attention to another girl and this shows that he is no more interested in her because she is taken by another man.

Climax: This occurs when Sidi runs out sobbing and announces to Lakunle and Sadiku that Baroka fooled them all, and that she is no longer a maid.

Dramatic Irony: There is dramatic irony that even the audience does not become aware of until later. Baroka knows exactly what Sadiku and Sidi have planned. Everything he says to Sidi drips with irony since he is actually the one in control. Sidi was ignorant to fall into his trap which finally made her to marry him.

Aside: This could be examined in page 43 of the play when Sidi was talking to Baroka and then makes a snappy remark to the audience.

Personification:

-the village says you are mad (p. 8)

-the sun himself had been your lover (p.11)

-It thought the world was mad (p.27), etc.

Simile:

-but you are as stubborn as an illiterate goat 

Suspense: This can be found in the scene where Lakunle and Sadiku were waiting for Sidi's return from visiting Baroka in his room. Due to the long awaiting and anticipating, Lakunle had a thought that Sidi is killed or beaten by Baroka.

 

              SETTING OF THE PLAY

The play, The Lion and the Jewel is set in the village of Ilujinle in the western part of Nigeria. The time frame was about 1950s during the time of British imperialism in Nigeria. In relation to the period, Wole Soyinka tries to picture the rate of colonial domination over the personal lives of poor Nigerians. The play has a sociological setting which has to do with the rural lives of people within a given society. Also, through the background of the play, the playwright makes a nice effort to create some mental pictures in the mind of readers about the situation of Nigerians before and after westernization. The value system of Ilujinle subjects over marriage and love is also x-rayed. The setting of the play explores the virgin period of Yoruba society before it's rape by the western culture. Lastly, it I'd of universal significance as the moral lessons derivable is not restricted to any period of time, but an eternal lesson more expedient to the young stars who did not see Nigeria in her dark age.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE USE OF SONGS, DANCES AND DRUMS

The play is filled with rich examples of

traditional Nigerian culture, particularly of Nigerian music and dance. Traditional Nigerian song, dance and drum has many functions, particularly in tribal cultures. They can be used to tell historical or entertaining stories, to educate, to communicate with deities, and to mark important life events. Early in the play,

the characters participate in "the dance of the lost traveler," seemingly in Bata style. Bata dancing comes from the Yoruba area of Nigeria (the same area where The

Lion and the Jewel is set). Traditionally, the Bata is used to communicate with Sango, the god of thunder. Throughout

the play, characters refer to Sango but never mention Bata directly. Contemporary Nigerians still dance the Bata, although it may now also be used for secular events. In the play, Bata is used secularly, for entertainment and storytelling. The dance is accompanied by three Bata drums: the iya , played by a master drummer; the itotele, a midsize drum that converses with the iya ; and the okonkolo , a smaller drum that keeps rhythm. The dancers follow the rhythm and order set by the drummers, so there must be a strong sense of unity and communication among the performers.

In "Night " Sadiku and Lakunle watch a group of mummers perform a pantomime of Baroka losing his manhood and being overpowered by his wives. Mummers are street performers from any culture, not only Nigerian, who wear masks or costumes and put on pantomimes (performances without words).

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                    A Play of Giants

__________________________________________

Author: Wole Soyinka

Genre type: Play

Play type: Comedy

Year of publication: 1984

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Contents

( 1 ) Summary of the Play

( 2 ) Plot summary

( 3 ) Characters

( 4 ) Themes

( 5 ) Literary techniques

( 6 ) Setting

( 7 ) The play as a political satire

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      INTRODUCTION OF THE PLAY

The play, A Play of Giants is a 1984 play and set in the 'Bugaran' Embassy in New York, where several of Africa's most ridiculous tyrants have gathered. A sculptor is immortalizing them, but they are hard to set in stone -- for one, because of their constant concern about their countries collapsing (or leadership falling into other hands), especially in their absence.

The three figures (Gunema, Kasco, and Kamini), and the fourth who joins them (Tuboum) are readily recognisable: as

Soyinka explains: "No serious effort is made here to hide the identities of the real-life actors who have served as models for A Play of Giants ." They are:

( 1 )Benefacio Gunema : Macias Nguema (Equitorial Guinea)

( 2) Emperor Kasco: Jean-Baptiste Bokassa (Central African

Republic)

( 3 )Field-Marshal Kamini: Idi Amin (Uganda)

( 4 )General Barra Tuboum: Mobuto Sese Seko (Congo/Zaïre)

Kamini, the host, is the central character, and A Play of Giants focusses in particular on this abomination that was Amin.

The play offers some Western sycophants and apologists- notably Gudrun, a Scandinavian journalist, and Professor Batey -- as well the Secretary General of the UN and, eventually, representatives of the two then-superpowers, the US and USSR. Most of the figures are caricatures, the play itself a satire that spares no one.

The African leaders are shown in their complete absurdity-power-mad men with no concept of politics, economics, or diplomacy. The Chairman of the Bugaran State Bank tries, for example, to explain that merely printing more currency will not solve the country's financial problems, and winds up spending most of the play with his head held down in a toilet. Among the leaders' biggest problems: how to keep their entourages from abandoning them, especially while they're abroad (i.e. where associates can flee and escape retribution).

The domestic collapse of their countries, far away, is nevertheless mirrored in the events in the embassy, Kamini abandoned by those he thought loyal to him, but still meting out arbitrary (in)justice and holding everything (or at least what's left) together by sheer terror, his unpredictability and irrationality forcing everyone to treat him with care.

Some of the leaders' delusions are amusing, and some of their power-plays chilling; sadly, Soyinka did not have to invent much to paint these caricatures: this is, more or less, how these men were and what they did.

There's little introspection from these leaders, though Kasco does observe:

Power comes only with the death of politics. That is why I chose to become emperor. I place myself beyond politics. At the moment of my coronation, I signal to the world that I transcend the intrigues and mundaness of politics. Now I inhabit only the pure realm of power. I fear, mes amis , all three of you have chosen to remain in the territory of politics. But --is it choice ? Or are you trapped ?

Kamini is shown as a charismatic charmer. He doesn't really fool anyone, but for their various reasons everybody puts up with (or kowtows to) him. Meanwhile, the Americans and Russians are presented as cynical Cold War realists, indifferent to the plight of the African people and nations, as long as their interests are served.

All in all it makes for good if ugly fun, but the humour isn't really sharp enough and the satire simply too broad and simplistic to make it a truly satisfying play. These are easy targets, and while Soyinka savages them well enough he does so with little finesse. Since the stories -- and the foolishness of all those who put up with these tyrants -- are well-known, there's limited novelty here. The lesson has been taught many times before, even if it still hasn't been learned, and A Play of Giants is successful only in depicting it once again, rather than actually dealing with it.

              SUMMARY OF THE PLAY