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A Pragmatic Analysis Of Nigerian Proverbs In Wole Soyinka’s “the Lion And The Jewelâ€
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1.7 WOLE SOYINKA AND A SYNOPSIS OF HIS THE LION AND THE JEWEL
Wole
Soyinka was born on 13th July 1934 at Abeokuta, Ogun State. After
preparatory University studies in 1954 at Government College in Ibadan,
he continued at the University of Leeds. 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 was appointed professor of comparative literature. In
1960, he founded the theatre group, “The 1960 Masks†and in 1964, the
“Orisun Theatre Company†through which he produced his own plays and
performed as an actor. He has periodically been a visiting professor to
the Universities of Cambridge, Sheffield, and Yule.
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, prose and poetry. His writing is based
on the methodology 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 Stomp Dwellers and The Lion and the Jewel (a night comedy),
which were performed at Ibadan in 1958 and1959 and were published in
1963.
The play, The Lion and the Jewel is set in the village of
Ilujinle. Lakunle catches a glimpse of Sidi carrying a pail on her head,
and rushes out of the classroom to seize the pail. He tries to emulate
European notion of courtesy by relieving Sidi of her burden, though
carrying water is traditionally a woman’s task. When Lakunle proposes to
Sidi, he is quoting words he has read in popular English books about
marriage, with his pretentious metaphors being answered by Sidi’s pithy
proverbs.
The heightened when Sidi says she wants a bride-price. She
insists on this because of the tradition which will prove her value in
the eyes of the village. The girls come to tell Sidi about the magazine
which contains her images and that of Baroka, the Bale of Ilujinle.
Photographs of Sidi have pride of place, on the cover and centre spread,
whilst the village bale, has only a small corner inside. Sidi realizes
the power of her beauty, placing her above the leader of her people.
Baroka
was once a powerful warrior. He has lived a long life and acquired many
concubines. Now he wants Sidi and sends his head wife, Sadiku, to
propose to her. This is common in many cultures for men to use elderly
women as intermediary to solicit a new bride. Sidi is not interested
since he is an old man, and with arrogance of youthful pride, rebukes
his advances. But Baroka is a wily old fox, not so easily brushed aside.
He is determined to have Sidi, and hatches a plan to seduce her. Sidi
falls for Baroka’s seduction and finally gets married to Baroka.
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