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PLAYWRIGHT: WOLE SOYINKA.
PUBLISHERS: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS.
PUBLICATION: 1963.
A: CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERIZATION.
i). SIDI.
-The Village Belle
ii). LAKUNLE.
-A School teacher
iii). BAROKA.
-The ‘Bale’ of Ilujinle
iv). SADIKU.
-Baroka’s head wife
iv). AILATU.
-Baroka’s favourite
v). OTHERS.
-Village girls
-A Wrestler
-A Surveyor
-School boys etc.
Story Structure
This text has arranged its events in chronological order. The playwright has divided this play into three parts being MORNING, NOON and NIGHT.
To begin with MORNING the playwright introduces a text by portraying at a Schoolmaster named LAKUNLE who is shown in the classroom with his students teaching. Shortly, it is portrayed on a Village Belle named SIDI who is shown passing at school making a teacher leave a class and follow her.
Also, this part introduces an expository part as LAKUNLE is portrayed asking a hand of marriage from SIDI but they are in disagreement on the issue of paying the bride price.
Moreover, this part introduces some girls who join hands to LAKUNLE’s and SIDI’s conversation being followed with a traditional dance on the lost traveler. This part ends by the arrival of BAROKA the village Bale who accuses LAKUNLE of stealing a village maidenhead even though he didn’t go.
Furthermore, by realizing the contribution brought by a schoolmaster especially in telling where the society goes wrong. Also, this part builds suspense by portraying BAROKA being in strong desire of marrying another wife as some five full five months has passed since he married.
At NOON, the playwright portrays on SIDI being with LAKUNLE on the way from fetching firewood then they meet with SADIKU who is BAROKA’s eldest wife being sent by BAROKA to ask a hand for marriage as his last wife. The part reveals LAKUNLE’s sadness after hearing the news; however SIDI tells SADIKU that she won’t marry BAROKA. The part goes on depicting BAROKA’s reply after SIDI’s protest on his hand of being a last wife as he makes a trick by laying SADIKU that he is impotent.
At the NIGHT part portrays on SADIKU’s emancipation as she is happy from her husband’s impotence. The part reveals SADIKU singing a song of victory and sharing the story with SIDI the thing which reveals ignorance as SIDI goes to attend at BAROKA’s supper with an intent to mock him unfortunately BAROKA becomes brave and ruins SIDI by having sex with her and destroying her virginity the thing which hurt her a s she realizes it was a trick to traps her. At last this part portrays on illusion as SIDI is married by BAROKA and not LAKUNLE adhering to the custom of marrying a first man who met such a lady.
To sum up a plot of this play, the playwright has began an exposition part by naming it as MORNING where a schoolmaster named LAKUNLE is portrayed teaching; with no time a beautiful girl named SIDI passes the school compound the thing which attracts a schoolmaster, making him leave a class following the girl to ask a hand of marriage.
Rising action begins when LAKUNLE and SIDI are portrayed in disagreement on the issue of paying bride price, being followed with the coming of GIRLS where singing and dancing are portrayed ending by LAKUNLE being accused by a chief BAROKA of stealing a village maidenhead.
Climax is portrayed at a part named NOON, where BAROKA is revealed sending his eldest wife named SADIKU to seduce SIDI marry him as a last wife. This thing made LAKUNLE sad but SIDI opposes the chief’s idea by portraying that BAROKA is older than her. This part ends when SADIKU informs the chief on SIDI’s refusal at his order, the thing which made BAROKA plan a trick of importance in order to trap SIDI.
Falling action comes at a part named NIGHT where SADIKU is portrayed singing, celebrating on women’s emancipation and victory over men’s oppression as chief has became impotent. This makes SIDI attend at chief’s supper as a way of mocking him.
SIDI’s attendance at Chief’s supper leads to a last part of resolution as SIDI is portrayed being deceived by a chief, making sex with him the practice which made her loose her virginity. This event builds an illusion as SIDI had to marry the chief instead of LAKUNLE a schoolmaster.
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