Untitled - Memorial University of Newfoundland

western culture evolved from the dramadisciplin es of the universi ties like lbadan and
Ile- Ife. Nigerian postcolonial dramatists. while incorpo rating western dramatic an
fo rms . have returned to the pre-colonial ritual and myths of oral traditional drama.
Whenever possible. Soyinka and Rotimi have abandoned the Europeanstyle
proscenium arch in an enclosed spacefor the open-air arena style theatre in an effort
to restore me indigenous parti cipatory relationship between the actors and their
aUdience. 13 Of particular significance in modern Nigerian drama is Rotimi's
rewriting of Sop hocles ' Oedipus Rex. 14
The main plot of The GodsAre NOI To Blame is quite similar to that of
Oedip us Rex. L5 Sophocles' play, which beginsin medias res , reveals how the tragic
chara cter, Oedipus. finds out that be killed his father . Lalus, and married his mother.
Jocasta. Before the staged time of the play. Oedipus bad saved the city of Thebes by
solving the riddle o f the Sphinx , and received as a reward the throne of Laius and
marriage to Iocasta. After years of prosperi ty and four children, a devastating plague
brings Theban citizens to their King for help. The Delphic oracl e declares that the
murderer of King Laius , who is the cause of the plague , is in the city ; Oedipus does
all in his power to find him . The aged seer , Teiresias, accuses Oedipus of the murder
whic h leads to Oedipus' suspicion of his wife's brother, Creon . An ensuing quarrel
between Oedipus and Creo n leads to Jocasta' s disclosure of the oracle given at the
birth of her child and the place of Laius' death. Thinking he may have beenguilty of
regicide , Oedipus summons the return of the survivo r of Laius ' travelling party, who
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