"The Gods are not to Blame"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Ola Rotimi's "The Gods are not to Blame", a postcolonial interpretation of the canonic works of the Western culture, Sophocles' "Oedipus Rex". The paper specifically discusses how Rotimi interprets Sophocles' story within the context of African culture, infusing his text with elements that are specific to the African tradition. In addition, the paper discusses how Rotimi's work is also a challenge to to the Greek classic belief in the invincible force of the destiny and in the absolute power of the will of gods, as well as a revival of traditional court culture in terms of structure.

From the Paper:

"The same pattern follows as Odewale grows up and is also informed about his tragic destiny by an oracle. He too hastens to prevent the terrible destiny and flees the village in which he grew up, believing he was living with his real parents. On the road, destiny takes up and he kills his own father in a conflict and then marries the widow queen, his mother without knowing it. The play concludes with the desperate Odewale punishing himself by self mutilation for his crimes and fleeing the village. While the story in Rotimi's play is the same as the classical myth in its major points, the overall interpretation of the theme is somewhat different."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Rotimi, Ola. The Gods are not to Blame. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1971.

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