Department of Theatre and Film Studies: Nnamdi Azikiwe University

NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF
THEATRE AND FILM
STUDIES
MODERN AFRICAN DRAMA (HOME AND DIAASPORA)
GROUP 8
ASSIGNMENT; Explain the intrinsic capacity of culture in man as reflected in
the character Olunde using Wole Soyinka’s proposition in The Fourth Stage.
Lecturer;Mr. E. Akpankwo
ABSTRACT
Man and his relationship with other members of his society reveal in
profound levels, the identity and character of man which is best explained in
his culture. Culture serves as a mark of identity in man and a means of tracing
his origin to generations before him. Drama is an art that requires the
coalition of different component parts to make a whole. It is a holistic art
form that is impossible to achieve without professionals in different fields
come together to work towards a predetermined goal. Drama tells stories,
these stories may be fictional or non-fictional, it may be historical or an
adaptation of an existing work of art, however, the point the group that is
writing this essay tends to make is that, drama, is the recreation of an event,
using actors, directors, stage managers, etc. to communicate a message by a
playwright. As mentioned before, drama has a means of making statements
about ones culture which is intrinsic and profoundly embedded within his
psyche. This research work therefore attempts to depict the capacity of culture
embedded in one who truly understands cultural values while making
reference to the play Death and The Kings Horseman written by Wole
Soyinka, and the proposition by the same writer that precedes and created a
platform for the reception of the play titled The fourth Stage
DRAMA AND THEORIES IN AFRICA
Drama in Africa is a popular art that is practiced in universities and
popular theatre auditoriums for the purpose of enlightening, educating and
entertaining audience. Playwrights use drama to make commentaries on their
society, while awaking the ideological consciousness of people towards a
better society. Death and The Kings Horseman is such a play that attempts to
wake the cultural essence in the minds of his audience. The Fourth Stage is a
theory written by the same writer of the book to project his perception of the
African world view as greatly influenced by his culture.
The Fourth Stage
This theory would be discussed in précis due to the limitation of page.
This theory sums up Wole Soyinka’s view on African drama. He gave his
proposition about the Yoruba world view, the cycle of existence and the
search for oneness. [ CITATION Wol76 \l 1033 ] affirms that;
Tragedy, in Yoruba traditional drama, is the
anguish from the severance, the
fragmentation of essence from self… the first
actor – for he led the others- was Ogun, first
suffering diety, first creative energy, the first

challenger, the conqueror of transition. And
his, the first art, was tragic art. (145)
The Soyinkan concept of tragedy suggests an individual who has enough will
to bridge the chaos of the abyss through the paradoxical truth of creativity and
destructiveness thus laying his life as a sacrifice to liberate his community
from impending doom and catastrophe. According to [ CITATION Mic82 \l 1033 ];
Throughout the four essays which constitute
the book runs the theme of the search for
oneness … which the playwright sees the
individual achieving only by daring to bridge
the abyss of primal chaos, and triumphing by
an exercise of the will. (268)
Due to purpose of keeping this research work concise, the group has decided
to go directly into the play text Death and The Kings horseman which clearly
reflects and traduce the intrinsic capacity of culture in man in the character of
Ogunde.
After group interactions, polemics were made and a part of the polemic
suggested that the play reflected a clash of culture, due to the fact that the
western culture found the African culture mundane and derogated all
practices and rites concerned with their beliefs and religion. This group
however seem to be making salient points, by pointing out that the major
conflict within the diegetic world of the story was brought about due to a
clash of cultural ideologies.
OLUNDE AS AN EMBODIMENT OF PROFOUND CULTURAL
IDEOLOGY
Olunde is Soyinka’s ideal tragic hero in the play because he was able to
confront the will which he needed to faced the part which his father to whom
it was due has refused to face because of his hedonistic life style. His father,
Elesin Oba, who is the right hand man of the king is expected to commit a
ritual suicide to quail the cultural eruption which the death of the Oba has
caused, and also to aid his transition. However, he was unable to carry out his
duty due to the fact that he lacked the will that was needed to confront the
abyss. However, one important element to point out which strongly be tones
the bone of contention of this research work - the intrinsic capacity of culture
in man- is that Ogunde, in as much as he went to the west and acquired
western knowledge, knew within him the importance of the festival and its
significance to the community. He therefore did not see the alien culture as
one which is superior to his culture, he therefore, went ahead to sacrifice
himself for his people to reverse the cultural atomization that was set to bring
calamity on the lives of the people. One would suggest after a thought, that it
is rather strange to have Olunde who was seen the west in all its power but
was still humble enough and brave enough to put on the shoes of his father.
In conclusion, the affirmation that culture has an intrinsic capacity is
veritable and very evident in the play Death and the Kings Horseman, in the
character of Olunde as lucidly explained above.

WORKS CITED
Etherton, Michael. The Development of African Drama. Kaduna: Tamza PUblishing Co. ltd, 1982.
Soyinka, Wole. Myth Literature and the Africa World. New York: Cambridge University Press,
1976.

Department of Theatre and Film Studies: Nnamdi Azikiwe University

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NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY

coalition of different component parts to make a whole. It is a holistic art

form that is impossible to achieve without professionals in different fields

come together to work towards a predetermined goal. Drama tells stories,

these stories may be fictional or non-fictional, it may be historical or an

using actors, directors, stage managers, etc. to communicate a message by a

playwright. As mentioned before, drama has a means of making statements

embedded in one who truly understands cultural values while making

Drama in Africa is a popular art that is practiced in universities and

popular theatre auditoriums for the purpose of enlightening, educating and

entertaining audience. Playwrights use drama to make commentaries on their

society, while awaking the ideological consciousness of people towards a

African world view as greatly influenced by his culture.

The Fourth Stage

This theory would be discussed in précis due to the limitation of page.

search for oneness. [ CITATION Wol76 \l 1033 ] affirms that;

Tragedy, in Yoruba traditional drama, is the

anguish from the severance, the

fragmentation of essence from self… the first

actor – for he led the others- was Ogun, first

suffering diety, first creative energy, the first

his, the first art, was tragic art. (145)

destructiveness thus laying his life as a sacrifice to liberate his community

from impending doom and catastrophe. According to [ CITATION Mic82 \l 1033 ];

Throughout the four essays which constitute

the book runs the theme of the search for

oneness … which the playwright sees the

individual achieving only by daring to bridge

the abyss of primal chaos, and triumphing by

an exercise of the will. (268)

clash of cultural ideologies.

OLUNDE AS AN EMBODIMENT OF PROFOUND CULTURAL

in man- is that Ogunde, in as much as he went to the west and acquired

one which is superior to his culture, he therefore, went ahead to sacrifice

In conclusion, the affirmation that culture has an intrinsic capacity is

character of Olunde as lucidly explained above.

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