Instead of legal jargon, there is humour, arguments and counter arguments. After a dispute, Baba Fakunle calls Odewale a "murderer," alluding to the assault that occurred on the yam patch in Ede, in which Odewale kills King Adetusa, unknowingly his father. , File size When Odewale became an adult, an uncle of his told him of his cursed destiny in a proverbial manner. 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. Book reviews, interviews, editors' picks, and more. Odewale finds out that the man who is cursed killed King Adetusa I. 'The Gods are Not to Blame' written by Ola Rotimi, is about a man born with a destiny that he tries to run away from. This Gods Are Not To Blame Novel Bing , as one of the most on the go sellers here will entirely be accompanied by the best options to review. His father father does to Odewale what European colonizers did to Africa. This reworking of Oedipus Rex was part of the African Arts (Arts d'Afrique) playwriting contest in 1969. Odewale storms Kutuje with his chiefs flanking by his side, and is declared King by the town's first chief. : The Gods Are Not to Blame Book Review. Along with the Ogun Priest, it is revealed to him that the old king was his father, and that Ojuola was his mother. The theme of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex is skillfully transplanted to African soil. After two years have passed, Obatala, the god of creation made the queen of kutuje conceive again, and this time she gave birth to another male child which the royal family named Aderopo. The radio play Everyone His/Her Own Problem, was broadcast in 1987. The Gods Are Not To Blame is a 1968 play and a 1971 novel by Ola Rotimi. 8 years ago June 26, 2013. Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2018, Good historical novel by a great writer. He named him Odewale. What the author arrives at is not to prove which gender is superior but to show the complementary roles of men and women. When the frog in front falls in a pit, others behind take caution. Word Wise helps you read harder books by explaining the most challenging words in the book. November 26, 2017. It's a masterpiece where justice is given a core value in our society and how justice and equity cannot be undermined. ASIN In The Gods Are Not to Blame, Rotimi gives the ageless story a new spin, with a fresh perspective that makes his book a classic. Simply suggest, the use of language is part of culture. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! He is consistently accused by Odewale of having ulterior motives to take the throne from him, going as far as to say that Aderopo had bribed the soothsayer, Baba Fakunle, of giving a false account of what is to come. So begins the tragic tale that leads to heartaches, deaths and sorrows, which will have readers asking whos to blame?. He consulted an Ogun priest who told him he was cursed, that he would kill his father and marry his mother. : 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. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. Aderopo denies the allegations, and Odewale calls forth the Priest of Ogun. Man Talk, Woman Talk is humorous, as quintessential comedies from the author can be. "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. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. If you compare Rex Warners Oedipus story (in Men and Gods) to Ola Rotimis The Gods Are Not to Blame, it is very easy to see the differences (and familiarities) of the mythical story. But it is set at an undetermined time in the Yoruba culture of Nigeria. Odewale became so furious, angry and distressed to an extent that even his wife, queen Ojuola was unable to calm him. 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. 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. (1966) Our Husband Has Gone Mad Againdepicts the cocoa farmer and businessman Lejoka-Brown as a self-seeking, opportunistic leader who could make better contributions to his country outside of the political arena. Ogundele had pity on the baby and adopted him. According to the play, this so-called uncle of Odewale referred to him as 'the butterfly who thinks himself as a bird'. Because of its subject matter, The Gods Are Not to Blame is the most accessible of his plays. Who is to blame in the play? 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. Current wife of King Odewale. Line: 479 The play consists of three acts and ten scenes as follows; Ola Rotimi's The Gods Are Not To Blame is the series of unfortunate events that occur in King Odewale's life. I am so glad this story was set in a period during the Yoruba Kingdom, because this is the sort of thing that I grew up with, as a Cuban, it is a part of every ethnic group's culture, one of the many things that threads us together. [2] (1966) Our Husband Has Gone Mad Againdepicts the cocoa farmer and businessman Lejoka-Brown as a self-seeking, opportunistic leader who could make better contributions to his country outside of the political arena. His last production was a staging of Man Talk, Woman Talk at the French Institute in Lagos, Nigeria. On Kindle Scribe, you can add sticky notes to take handwritten notes in supported book formats. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. Line: 192 If there is any theme that stood out for me, it was the inevitability of reaping what you sow. 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. Enhanced typesetting improvements offer faster reading with less eye strain and beautiful page layouts, even at larger font sizes. [11][12] It was in a 2005 performance at the Arcola Theater in London, however, that brought with it renewed discussion.[13]. You can follow Len Academy on twitter here.Thank you. , Publisher An adaptation of the Greek classic Oedipus Rex, set in an indeterminate period of a Yoruba kingdom, the story centers on Odewal. The Gods Are Not to blame is full of irony, despair, and disillusions. Before the arrival of Gbonka, Alaka told Odewale of his fathers death. Rotimi seals Odewale's fate by having an omen placed over his life at birth. a very interesting novel, a story of a man who killed his father and married his mother, this is something which does not happen very often. He had worked so hard here. 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. Required fields are marked *. His book African Dramatic Literature: To Be or to Become? 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. Function: _error_handler, Message: Invalid argument supplied for foreach(), File: /home/ah0ejbmyowku/public_html/application/views/user/popup_modal.php Additional gift options are available when buying one eBook at a time. The Gods Are Not to Blame is influenced by Yoruba and Yoruban culture. The scene is a court though devoid of the usual technicalities of court rooms. Learn more. Rotimi's main intervention is to dispense with the gradual revelation of the truth of Sophocles' original: here, the . To this end, he publicly delivered his findings by stating that the reason for the plague is a man who killed their former king. Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2005. Rotimi spent the second half of his last creative decade reworking two of his plays Man Talk, Woman Talk and also Tororo, Tororo, Roro and the result, unpublished at the time of his death in 2002, have now been published under the title The Epilogue. The Gods Are Not To Blame is a 1968 play and a 1971 novel by Ola Rotimi. [9][10] It was nominated for an award at the ESB Dublin Fringe Festival 2003. Odewale says to the land that the biggest trouble today is not their sickness but instead the plague in their hearts. [9][10] It was nominated for an award at the ESB Dublin Fringe Festival 2003. Alaka clearly recognized him but he could not recognize Alaka. 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. : The comical character Alaka, for example, represents Odewale's childhood growing up in the village of Ishokun. : Photo: NZ Herald. in his play 1he gods are not to blame.t Whereas the action of Soyinka's play is set in Greece, Rotimi has transplanted his play to Africa and has also changed the names of the characters. Again, the old man insulted the village they both believed he had come from; but this time, Odewale would not accept such insult. Anyone seeking to familiarize themselves with african folklore or get a gist of the community setting must definately read this book. He therefore banished Aderopo from his kingdom. : The leadership in the play forms a comparison to that of the King and many of the townspeople. [8] Odebunmi" Language,Culture and Proverbs". : We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. Number of Acts and Scenes I believe this scholar is claiming to the idea that proverbs deal with issues in the Yoruban culture. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. Would have been a five if not that the ending wrenched my heart. There was a problem loading your book clubs. He has been called "a complete man of the theatre an actor, director, choreographer and designer who created performance spaces, influenced by traditional architectural forms.". What really stricks me about this book now is the title Rotimi chose. 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. Blame is the most challenging words in the US if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon technicalities court! As a bird ' great writer overall star rating and percentage breakdown by,. Word Wise helps you read harder books by explaining the most challenging words in the States... Odewale referred to him as 'the butterfly who thinks himself as a bird ' setting must read! Problem, was broadcast in 1987 States on October 8, 2005 falls in a proverbial.! King and many of the usual technicalities of court rooms author arrives at Not! Author can be furious, angry and distressed to an extent that his. To him as 'the butterfly who thinks himself as a bird ' of culture of language is part of.. 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