Tragedy as a Component of Liberation and Freedom In Ola Rotimi’s The Gods Are Not to Blame

Literary studies are replete with multiple exegeses of tragedy where its various notions and rubrics are expounded. However, interpretation has posed a problem. While most critics align with the Shakespearean concept which emphasises a noble character’s gravitation from grace to grass, other critics align with the Aristotelian notion which emphasizes the instillation of fear and purgation of emotion in the audience. In all the interpretations, tragedy is viewed as a negative phenomenon that lacerates human consciousness. However, this paper interprets tragedy as a major component of liberation and freedom. It opens a new vista in the understanding and appreciation of tragedy as depicted in Ola Rotimi’s The Gods Are Not to Blame.Furthermore, the paper argues that although tragedy is inherently negative, it has a positive perspective. Using the identified text as a guide and relying on the theory of deconstruction, the study reveals that King Odewale’s murder of King Adetusa, his biological father, and the incest with his mother Ojuola, had to be exposed and punished for the people to be freed and liberated from the throes of sickness and death. While it is easy to feel pity for King Odewale’s fate at the end of the play, it also calls for a converse appreciation of the situation as an opportunity for liberation and freedom from sickness and death.

Keywords: Tragedy Liberation Freedom Humanity Fate

Author

• Adiele, Promise
  Department of English, Mountain Top University
  poadiele@mtu.edu.ng
  Tel: +2348037197590