Word Wise helps you read harder books by explaining the most challenging words in the book. Later, Ojuola explains that Baba Fakunle made her kill her first born son, convinced that her first son had brought bad luck. Publication date. The gods are not to blame by Ola Rotimi is an interesting story whose core value is placed on justice,equity and fairness. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers. Upon returning to Nigeria in the 1960s, Rotimi taught at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), where he founded the Ori Olokun Acting Company, and the University of Port Harcourt theater. 1ST CHIEF: Your Highness, the man does not know what he says. He insulted Odewale by calling him a thief but Odewale did nothing. The novel is set in an indeterminate period of a Yoruba kingdom. [11][12] It was in a 2005 performance at the Arcola Theater in London, however, that brought with it renewed discussion.[13]. Odewale confesses that his life spiraled out of control when he killed a man. Would have been a five if not that the ending wrenched my heart. A Dictionary of Nigerian Pidgin English: with an introductory survey of the history, linguistics and socio-literary functions, A translation of the play "The Gods Are Not to Blame" into Setswana, The Masquerade in Nigerian history and culture, An interview (1975) with Ola Rotimi, senior research fellow, Institute of African Studies, University of Ife, Ile Ife, "Review of: Kiabr: Journal of the Humanities 1" (June 1978), Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. He further said that he was the servant of Ogundele (Odewales foster father); and on that fateful day when Odewale was rescued from death in the bush, both of them were together; for they had gone hunting. Baba Fakunle: A blind, old man, Baba Fakunle serves as a soothsayer to those who seek him. He was born in Sapele, Nigeria; cultural diversity was a recurring theme in his work. that we shld not let our temper let us into other bad things that we are going to regret later in the future because it is going to affect us very badly like Odewale's temper lead him to his grave that should not happen to any reasonable humanbeign who have consience. Please try again. It was through this book that I first became acquainted with Oedipus' tale. The self-styled 'Apostle' of the Destiny Church made the comments just days after the storm hit, dedicating a sermon to the topic and . By achieving this feat, the town of kutuje broke tradition by making Odewale the new king of their land. I wanted this as a gift to someone special, however, instead I got months of HEADACHE! : The Gods Are Not to Blame Book Review. Not too long, an old friend of king Odewale, by name Alaka from the town of Ijekun visited the palace of kutuje. This handsome little of joy kill his father and marry his mother. The two plays were probably meant as an epilogue to both Rotimi's theatrical and comic careers, which span the entire spectrum of his career. The book began with a prologue. What first swims up to the surface of my memory when I remember this novel is "the place where three footpaths met". By juxtaposing Alaka in Odewale's new environment, Kutuje, Rotimi illustrates the cultural differences between traditional Yoruban life, with that of the industrialized west. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Oedipus, Whos to Blame? Odewale made a vow to pluck out the killers eyes and then banish him away from the land. King Odewale's progress towards knowledge of the murder and incest that must be expiated before his kingdom can be restored to ealth is unfolded with a dramatic intensity heightened by the richness of the play's Nigerian setting. I believe the problem of man is with man himself.The fact that odewale aided the people of kutuje,was not a prove of leadership mandate.The tragedy that befell kutuje people took its turn after the coronation of odewale as king by either Odewale or the people, without consulting the gods.In our days we make same conclusions when we make people who have helped us come through storms as Lord over our affairs. Your email address will not be published. In an attempt to end this plague, king Odewale sent Aderopo (the son of late king Adetusa) to Ile-Ife in order to make enquires concerning the sufferings of the land and its inhabitants. Rotimi, a patriot who shunned the attraction of the West and Europe and returned home to contribute his own quota to nation building, was a rare breed. Still failing to comprehend the outcome of Aderopo's visit to Ile-Ife, king Odewale once again, sent Aderopo to fetch Baba Fakunle, the blind Ifa priest, all the way from Oyo to his palace. Number of Acts and Scenes The Sabbath Recorder - 1916 The Whole Book of Psalmes: Collected Into English Meeter, by Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins, and Others, Etc - 1635 God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater - Kurt Vonnegut 1998-09-08 At the end, the reader is left with a ringing conclusion one can never outrun fate. Odewales character experiences different phases of confusion, almost painful in its helplessness, that the reader will become sympathetic to his plight, cursing fate for dealing him with such a heavy hand. At birth his parents' joy was cut short when they find out from the oracle. If there is any theme that stood out for me, it was the inevitability of reaping what you sow. Aderopo arrives and is immediately confronted by Odewale about his suspicions. : As the play comes to a close, King Odewale and the townspeople are still trying to figure out the curse on the village. [9][10] It was nominated for an award at the ESB Dublin Fringe Festival 2003. Ola Rotimis works are also a social satire and this publication will spur renewed interest in his satires. He comes to Kutuje to tell Odewale that the man he called father had passed two years prior and that his mother, though old, was still in good health. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Rotimi is sure to be remembered as a model in the literary genre whose views have shaped the conduct of the theatre and whose plays have demonstrated the power of drama to shape the thinking of the society and attempted to solve some of the problems encountered in everyday living. as mission from the gods to carry out on earth (The gods are not to Blame, 2). The gratifying Rotimi's "The gods are not to Blame". Line: 68 A Dictionary of Nigerian Pidgin English: with an introductory survey of the history, linguistics and socio-literary functions, A translation of the play "The Gods Are Not to Blame" into Setswana, The Masquerade in Nigerian history and culture, An interview (1975) with Ola Rotimi, senior research fellow, Institute of African Studies, University of Ife, Ile Ife, "Review of: Kiabr: Journal of the Humanities 1" (June 1978). These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Alaka hails from the village of Ishokun. "Proverbs deal with issues that border on the values, norms, institutions and artifacts of a society across the whole gamut of the people's experiences. Odewale banishes Aderopo from the kingdom. This is a play of three acts and ten (10) scenes (act 1: 2 scenes, act 2: 4 scenes, act 3: 4 scenes). His father father does to Odewale what European colonizers did to Africa. When crocodiles eat their own eggs, what will they not do to the flesh of a frog? Akin Odebunmi in Motivated Proverbs In Ola Rotimi's "The Gods Are Not To Blame" uses myths and dances established in Yoruban culture that helps serve as the basis of the play. Are his parents able to thwart the heavy sentence pronounced on them from the world beyond? Ola Rotimi had an immense knowledge and interest in African cultures, as indicated in his ability to speak several ethnic languages, such as Yoruba, Ijaw, Hausa, and pidgin. 2ND CHIEF: It is old age. (1968) The Gods Are Not To Blamean adaptation of the Greek classic Oedipus Rex; the main character gets trapped by pride, ignorance and the caprices of the divinities. Amazon has encountered an error. , Word Wise Function: _error_handler, File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/user/popup_harry_book.php [clarification needed] To prevent this from occurring, King Adetusa orders for Odewale to be killed. But beautiful, beautiful twists I didn't see coming. There is a great deal of wit in the work and the setting here is the university environment where the youthful contenders are idealistic. The theme of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex is skillfully transplanted to African soil. The Gods Are Not to Blame is influenced by Yoruba and Yoruban culture. ola Rotimi's book is very inspiring.i learnt that what we say,do,watch,portray and everything else around us determines our destiny.trully the gods are not to blame for whatever happens.I believe odewale's fate would have been averted if he had stayed with his real parents. The Gods are not to blame was first performed in Nigeria at the Ife Festival of the Arts in 1968, has since been staged with great success across Africa Europe and the USA. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Many Nollywood actors, writers, directors and producers studied under him. An adaptation of the Greek classic Oedipus Rex, set in an indeterminate period of a Yoruba kingdom, the story centers on Odewale, who is lured into a false sense of security, only to somehow get caught up in a somewhat consanguineous trail of events. Owing, in part, to political conditions in Nigeria, Rotimi spent much of the 1990s living in the Caribbean and the United States, where he taught at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Although he is a custodian of culture who inspires people, he does not actively participate in their struggles. He failed in his duty and saved the life of the newly born by giving him to a stranger, Ogundele by name, who took the child to another village and served as his foster father there. Please try again. For those who are unfamiliar with Oedipus story, it is a myth about a mortal who was cursed from birth to kill is father, marry his mother, and bear four children with her. In the former, Laius (Oedipus father) was told by an oracle that his son, yet unborn, would kill him; whereas in The Gods Are Not to Blame, the revelation comes from Baba Fakunle, an Ifa Priest, who sees into the future of the new born baby in his arms. 8 years ago June 26, 2013. In The Gods Are Not To Blame, Rotimi incorporates many themes, such as culture and its connection with the form of the social structure of an African community. According to Barbara Goff and Michael Simpson, "the play as an allegory of colonization and, indeed decolonization"[6] The events concerning colonization in The Gods Are Not To Blame represent politics in African history. The Gods Are Not To Blame Full Book Ola Rotimi Right here, we have countless ebook The Gods Are Not To Blame Full Book Ola Rotimi and collections to check out. In the story of 'The gods are not to blame'; the first son of king Adetusa is _____. Man Talk, Woman Talk is humorous, as quintessential comedies from the author can be. We are sorry. The Gods Are Not To Blame (2003 - 2004) 2003: Blue Raincoat's Factory Performance Space (Republic of Ireland) The Gods are Not to Blame (2005) 2005: Arcola Theatre (London, Greater London, England) The Gods Are Not To Blame (2007) 2007: Accra Centre for National Culture (Ghana) The Gods Are Still Not To Blame (2012) 2012: The Gods Are Not To . The Gods Are Not To Blame is a 1968 play and a 1971 novel by Ola Rotimi. He could not, of course, assume prior knowledge of the story on the part of the His dream of directing a play of 5000 cast members materialized at the Amphi Africa Theater when he was being put to rest as the crowd was drawn to a manuscript of the day's program outline. In 1966 he obtained an MA from Yale School of Drama, where he earned the distinction of being a Rockefeller Foundation scholar in playwriting and dramatic literature. But it is set at an undetermined time in the Yoruba culture of Nigeria. Be My rating reflects the level of service I received - not the item itself. Academic Questions in Literature in English. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. In a last attempt to save his life, Odewale killed the old man by striking him with a hoe. It particularly highlights the emotional language used in the drama. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Barbara Goff and Michael Simpson 2007: c2 92-93. Are you sure you want to cancel your membership with us? Please use a different way to share. (1979) If: A Tragedy of the Ruledin If, the young firebrand Hamidu is nowhere to be found when a real commitment is required. The culture represents "the way of life for an entire society", as noted in Pragmatic Functions of Crisis Motivated Proverbs in Ola Rotimi's The Gods Are Not to Blame. It's about having power over the land and Odewale no longer has the power because the old man took it from him, which is why he turns a hoe, which is a gardening tool, into a sword. Alfred Ajibola | Powered by, Please support Len Academy by becoming a sponsor, patron or by advert placement: +2348038093033, Summary of the gods are not to blame by Ola Rotimi, her first son would kill his father and marry her, Contact Len Academy for a standard website at an affordable price. Femi Elufowoju Jr had his first theatre experience in 1975, at the age of 11, when he saw a revival of this very play, performed in a reconstructed Greek amphitheatre at a university campus in Ife; and brought it to the UK shores as a British leading theatre director under the company name Tiata Fahodzi. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. Current wife of King Odewale. Odewale was henceforth disturbed with his identity, and subsequently went in search of answers. This reworking of Oedipus Rex was part of the African Arts (Arts d'Afrique) playwriting contest in 1969. In 1965, he married Hazel Mae Guadreau, from Gloucester Massachusettes; Hazel also studied at Boston University, where she majored in opera, voice and music education. He added that they saw a man in the bush of Ipetu with a baby wrapped in white cloth with his arms and feet tied with strings of cowries. Much of classical Greek drama derived from . Learn more. Odewale begins to make accusations of a plot being made against him, spearheaded by Aderopo, to one of the village chiefs in response to Baba Fakunle's silence. The play the gods are not to blame is dated. In 1966 he obtained an MA from Yale School of Drama, where he earned the distinction of being a Rockefeller Foundation scholar in playwriting and dramatic literature. Abstract. His first plays, To Stir the God of Iron (produced 1963) and Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again (produced 1966; published 1977), were staged at the drama schools of Boston University and Yale, respectively. It is an adaptation of the Greek classic Oedipus Rex. His first plays, To Stir the God of Iron (produced 1963) and Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again (produced 1966; published 1977), were staged at the drama schools of Boston University and Yale, respectively. Rotimi is sure to be remembered as a model in the literary genre whose views have shaped the conduct of the theatre and whose plays have demonstrated the power of drama to shape the thinking of the society and attempted to solve some of the problems encountered in everyday living. The Epilogue: Two unpublished plays of Ola Rotimi. In 1965, he married Hazel Mae Guadreau, from Gloucester Massachusettes; Hazel also studied at Boston University, where she majored in opera, voice and music education. The radio play Everyone His/Her Own Problem, was broadcast in 1987. The book is absolutely wonderful. You can follow Len Academy on twitter here.Thank you. To this Rotimi argues that while some of the suffering may have been the result of attempted colonial conquests, the lingering animosity that is felt and dispersed among fellow Nigerians, by fellow Nigerians, cannot be blamed solely on an outside party. It is during the course of the play that Odewale reveals to Alaka why it was that he left the village of Ede, where Odewale said he would live after leaving Ishokun when he was thirteen. Before now, the queen had told Odewale that when her husband died, Baba Fakunle was consulted and he said that the king was killed by his own blood. Odewale was in touch with his supernatural side, and was quick to call on Ogun, going so far as to swear on the deity which eventually led to his downfall. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! 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