i

OKANUME, AUGUSTA CHINWENDU

PG/MA/08/49005

51723

POETIC JUSTICE IN FIVE SELECTED

IGBO DRAMA TEXTS

LINGUISTICS, IGBO AND OTHER NIGERIAN

LANGUAGES

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION,

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA ENUGU CAMPUS

Webmaster

Digitally Signed by Webmaster’s Name

DN : CN = Webmaster’s name O= University of Nigeria, Nsukka

OU = Innovation Centre

JANUARY, 2011

ii

TITLE PAGE

POETIC JUSTICE IN FIVE SELECTED IGBO DRAMA

TEXTS

BY

OKANUME, AUGUSTA CHINWENDU

PG/MA/08/49005

A PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL

FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE

AWARD OF MASTER OF ARTS (M.A) DEGREE IN THE

DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS, IGBO AND OTHER

NIGERIAN LANGUAGES OF THE UNIVERSITY NIGERIA,

NSUKKA

iii

JANUARY 2011

APPROVAL PAGE

THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN APPROVED ON BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF

LINGUISTICS IGBO AND OTHER NIGERIAN LANGUAGES, UNIVERSITY OF

NIGERIA NSUKKA

BY

__________________________ _______________________________

Supervisor Head of Department

___________________________ _______________________________

Internal Examiner External Examiner

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CERTIFICATION

Okanume, Augusta Chinwendu, a postgraduate student in the Department of Linguistics, Igbo

and Other Nigerian Languages with registration number PG/MA/08/49005 has satisfactorily

completed the requirements for courses and research project work for the degree of M.A. The

work contained in this project is original and has not been submitted in part or full for any other

diploma or degree of this or any other University.

____________________________ ________________________________

Head of Department Supervisor

v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My special thanks go to the Almighty God, who in His infinite mercy, made it possible

for me by strengthening me all through, and above all, brought the programme to a successful

end.

My sincere and profound gratitude goes to my able supervisor, Prof. Innọ. Ụzọma

Nwadike (KSM) for his fatherly care, understanding, words of encouragement, tolerance and

cheerfulness in directing and correcting this work throughout its various stages.

My sincere gratitude also goes to Dr B.M Mbah for his understanding and kind direction

and patience in reading through the work and making necessary corrections all through the

different stages of this work. My thanks also go to Dr. E.S Ikeokwu for his support and

directions. Our head of Department Prof. C.N Okabalama, Dr (Mrs) G.I. Nwaozuzu as well as all

the academic staff of Linguistics and Other Nigerian Languages, Department of University of

Nigeria Nsukka.

My unreserved gratitude also goes to my husband, Simon Chikwendu Okanume, who

stood by my side all through and sacrificed all in his life both morally and materially, to keep me

moving forward. Daddy, may God bless you in a special way. My sincere gratitude goes to Mr.&

Mrs. James Okanume whose love and encouragement inspired me all through the course of this

work. I wish to express my indebtedness to my children, Ogochukwu, Udochukwu, Uchechukwu

and Chukwuemeka whose love and encouragement me gave strength all through the period.

I owe a great debt of gratitude to my mother, Veronica Muodi and all my siblings. I am

very grateful for the help given to me by all my friends, Sister Oluchi Okafor, Lady Udoka

Ezeoliaku, Sister Christy Amah, Nkemjika, Priscilla, Tochi and Joy Ogana for all their kind

gestures to me throughout my study in the university. I say a big “thank you” to you all.

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Table of contents

pages

Title page……………………………………………………………………………………… i

Approval page………………………………………………………………………………… ii

Certification …………………………………………………………………………………... iii

Acknowledgement…………………………………………………………………………….. iv

Table of content………………………………………………………………………………. v

Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………. viii

Chapter One

1.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………. 1

1.1 Statement of problem……………………………………………………………………2

1.2 Scope of study…………………………………………………………………………. 3

1.3 Objective of study……………………………………………………………………... 3

1.4 Significance of study…………………………………………………………………... 3

1.5 Research methodology……………………………………………………………….... 4

Chapter Two

2.0 Preamble……………………………………………………………………………….. 5

2.1 The Concept of poetic justice…………………………………………………………... 5

2.2 Universal justice……………………………………………………………………….. 7

2.3 Justice as general virtue……………………………………………………………….. 9

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2.4 Other implication of poetic justice……………………………………………………. 9

2.4.1 Nemesis……………………………………………………………………………….. 9

2.4.2 Retribution ………………………………………………………………………………11

2.5 Drama and its classification…………………………………………………………… 12

2.5.1 Written Igbo plays…………………………………………………………………….. 14

2.5.2 Tragedy……………………………………………………………………………….. 15

2.5.3 Comedy……………………………………………………………………………… 16

2.5.4 Tragic Comedy………………………………………………………………………. 17

2.5.5 Melodrama…………………………………………………………………………… 17

2.5.6 Farce…………………………………………………………………………………... 17

2.5.7 Satiric Comedy………………………………………………………………………… 17

Chapter Three

3.0 Synopsis of the text…………………………………………………………………….. 19

3.1 Obidiya………………………………………………………………………………… 19

3.2 Okwe Agbaala………………………………………………………………………….. 20

3.3 Nwata Rie Awọ (Ọ Jụọ Anụ)…………………………………………………………….21

3.4 Ome Ihe Jide Ọfọ……………………………………………………………………… 23

3.5 Eriri Mara Ngwugwu………………………………………………………………….. 25

Chapter Four

4.0 Poetic Justice In the selected Texts…………………………………………………….. 27

4.1 Preamble…………………………………………………………………………………27

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4.2 Obidiya………………………………………………………………………………… 27

4.3 Nwata Rie Awọ (Ọ Jụọ Anụ)………………………………………………………….. 29

4.4 Eriri Mara Ngwugwu………………………………………………………………….. 31

4.5 Ome Ihe Jide Ọfọ……………………………………………………………………… 33

4.6 Okwe Agbaala…………………………………………………………………………. 38

Chapter Five

5.1 Summary……………………………………………………………………………….. 42

5.2 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………… 44

References……………………………………………………………………………………… 46

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Abstract

Literary critics use some approaches in evaluating or assessing of the characters in texts. This

study investigated the poetic justice meted out to the main characters in five selected Igbo plays,

used: Obidiya, Okwe Agbaala, Nwata Rie Awo,, Ome Ihe Jide Ọfọ and Eriri Mara Ngwugwu.

The characters were rewarded according to the good works they did and the bad ones punished

according to their works. In doing this the study used materials from secondary sources to build

up literature review in the areas of theoretical and empirical studies, which help us in the analysis

of the content and language of the study texts. However, it is discovered that people who commit

one evil or the other because of their physical power, wealth or diabolic means will realize that

everyone lives to pay for every abomination committed knowingly or unknowingly. On the other

hand, good deeds are encouraged because any good work must be rewarded even though it may

be delayed; it must surely come to pass.

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CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Literature had existed in Africa before the coming of the Europeans to the African

Continent. The literature was basically oral. Igbo literature, like the literature of some other

groups, is made up of the oral and written forms. Both consist of the three principal genres,

drama prose poetry. Literature, whether oral or written, is culture- bound; it does not exist in a

vacuum. Any imaginative literature is set in the context of a given culture since it is a reflection

of the society.

Every work of literature (be it a poem, play or novel) presents a human experience.

Literature and criticism go hand in hand. One is the basis of the other “but the two are distinct

activities” (Wellek and Warren, 1970:15). A mere production of literary works is not just enough

until such work are given critical analyses. The exercise of analytical and critical input on

literary works focus greater attention on such works and brings about their scholarly

dissemination and better appreciation. Literary criticism is the analysis and judgement of works

of art. It tries to interpret and to evaluate such works and to examine the principle by which they

may be understood. According to Emenanjo (1983) “Literature needs criticism to grow, develop

and mature. Criticism needs literature to exist and to be meaningful and to be relevant”. In line

with this view, Nwadike (1991) remarks that “ it is one thing to provide literary works and it is

another to give these works practical criticism from time to time to raise scholarly consciousness

and the much desired attention on them”

A lot of critical works have been done by many scholars in literature and literary fields.

Igbo literature in general and Igbo plays and playwrights in particular have not received the

much attention and criticism they deserve from scholars and researchers. Much have not been

done on the area of the justice in our society. This study will focus on poetic justice, that is, the

way the characters in the plays, are made to suffer for the bad things they have done in ways that

seem perfectly suitable. In Igbo concept of justice, we believe in the Igbo philosophy of “Egbe

bere, Ugo bere”. For the purpose of this study, poetic justice should be examined through the

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themes and plots of the selected Igbo plays of different Igbo playwrights so as to examine the

way the poets bring out justice from the point of view of Igbo tradition.

According to Oxford Dictionary of Law, justice is a moral ideal that the law seeks to

uphold in the protection of rights and punishment of wrongs. Justice is not synonymous with

law. It is possible for a law to be called unjust. The term “poetic justice” was originally applied

to the consequences of actions by literary characters where ultimately the author must ensure

justice and equilibrium.

It was in this climate that Thomas Rymer coined the expression ,“Poetic Justice” which

means that in literature and by logical extension in real life, evil and shady actions should be

punished for the education and betterment of society and humanity. If somebody steals or

commits murder of adultery in a story or play, they should not get away with this “immoral”

deed, but justice should always reign.

Poetic Justice makes sure that all meet with their deserts in the end of a narrative: the

good are rewarded; the bad are punished. It serves to restore balance in the relationships between

characters, and it marks the point at which readers know they can leave the characters to their

own devices.

Based on this foreground discussion, this study adopts aesthetic critical approach in

delineating the plays under study.

1.1 Statement of Problem

Igbo literature in general, and Igbo plays and playwrights in particular, have not received

much attention and criticism they require from Igbo literary scholars and researchers, very little

has been done on Igbo play and novels to compared with their English counterparts. In Igbo

drama we have few fragments of commentaries and references in the areas of plot, setting and

themes. Much has not been done in the area of poetic justice in our society, the way poets give

justice to the characters in the plays. Many Igbo plays, with particular references to the ones

focused at by this study, will highlight some of the poetic justice. Therefore, it is the intention of

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this study to find out the extent to which poetic justice reflects in the selected Igbo plays under

study.

1.2 Scope of Study

Some scholars have done researches on poetic Justice in both plays and novels. However,

attention, will be specifically focused on the five selected Igbo plays. They are:

Obidiya - Enyinna Akoma, (1977)

Nwata Rie Awọ - Onyekaonwu, G.O (1985)

Eriri Mara Ngwugwu - Onyekaonwu, G.O (1985)

Ome Ihe Jide ọfọ - Nwaozuzu, G.I (1991)

Okwe Agbaala - Nwadike, I.U (1992)

1.3 Objective of Study

The objective for undertaking this study is to x-ray the different forms of poetic justice in

our society using the selected Igbo plays.

Compared with what is happening in the current day society, this study will focus on

poetic justice and its universality.

To show the consequences on evil done in the society and how the good characters are

rewarded.

To show how the plots of the plays differ in the presentation of poetic justice in Igbo

culture and other cultures seen in literature.

To make my own substantive contributions in literature analysis for the promotion and

advancement of literary or dramatic work.

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1.4 Significance of Study

This study will help to expose Igbo plays to the present generation for them to know that

there is reward to whatever one does on this earth. The study will also generate interest or serve

as incentive in some other researchers and scholars for further studies of the Igbo plays.

The work will alert readers of justice on bad character and rewards on good character.

The study will help people to fight against evil in the society and embrace good

behaviour.

The result of the work will benefit other scholars who might wish to undertake further

work on this topic.

It will help education planners to include moral education in the school curricular right

from primary to tertiary institutions.

The traditional institutions will also benefit by intensifying the teaching of their subjects

on the importance of African values, especially in Igbo land.

1.5 Research Methodology

Library materials served as secondary source of data collection for the study. The library

made it possible for the researcher to have access to some valuable information used for this

study. Other secondary sources such as textbooks and journals on the subject and also internet

sources were made use of.

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CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Preamble

Literature is a reflection of life and the literary artists take it upon themselves to highlight and

even warn us of the dangers facing us. It is left to us to take heed and act as befitting to avoid the

consequences of such acts. Literary criticism has been scarce in the area of poetic justice, especially in

the area of thesis writing in Igbo literature and that has become a handicap at the time of this write up.

In this chapter, the following sub-headings will be looked into. They are:

Concept of poetic justice

Universal Justice

Justice as General Virtue

Other Implication of poetic Justice

Drama and its classification

2.1 The Concept of poetic justice:

Poetic Justice is formed by combing two words. The first is “poetic, which is from the Latin word

poeta. The second is justice “which is from the Latin word Justitis which was derived from Justus,

meaning “right” or “law”.

Justice is a fundamental ethical concept. This is because it is a basic criterion of the uprightness of

human conduct and action. Hence, justice has always been regarded as a moral virtue or the principle

of good behaviour rooted in the will of man. So justice as a virtue is identical with the rectitude of the

will.

According to Oxford Dictionary of Law, Justice is a moral ideal that the law seeks to uphold in the

protection of rights and punishment of wrongs. Justice is not synonymous with law-it is possible for

a law to be called unjust.

6

Having seen the meaning of poetic and the meaning of justice, let us see the meaning of the

two words poetic justice.

Origin of the Term

English drama critic Thomas Rymer coined the phrase in The Tragedies of The Last Age

Considered (1678) to describe how a work should inspire proper moral behaviour in its audience by

illustrating the triumph of good over evil. The demand for poetic justice is consistent in classical

authorities and shows up in Horace, Plutarch, and Quintillion, so Rymer’s phrase poetic justice is a

reflection of a common place. Philip Sidney, in defense of poetry, argued that poetic justice was, in

fact, the reason that fiction should be allowed in a civilized nation. Flangan (2010) says that Thomas

Rymer coined the expression “poetic justice”. It meant that in literature-and by logical extension in

real life-evil and shady actions should be punished for the education and betterment of society and

humanity. If somebody steals or commits murder or adultery in a story or play, they should not get

away with these “immoral” deeds, but that justice should always reign (at least in the fictitious world).

Farzaneh (2009) hence “poetic justice” was initially a rule or guide of literature that one should not

forget to portray the good and just being triumphant over the immoral and the dark.

Poetic justice in its original sense had different connotations. It was mainly related to morality,

it was an inherent logical statement about the world of literature, an ideal reflection of how the world

ought to be during the classical period. Literary critics continue to look for inspiration and guidance

among the ancient Greek philosophers, mainly Plato and Aristotle. The classical period, similarly to

the renaissance was strongly influenced by humanism and stood in rather sharp contrast with the

Middle Ages where concern of spiritual matters overshadowed all earthly and human endeavors.

Notably, poetic justice does not merely require that the vice be punished and virtue rewarded

but also that logic triumphs. If, for example, a character is dominated by greed for most of a romance

or drama, he cannot become generous. The action of a play, poem or fiction must obey the rules of

logic as well as morality, and when the humour theory was dominant poetic justice was part of

justification for humour plays. During the late 17th

century, critics pursuing a neo-classical standard

would criticize William Shakespeare in favour of Ben Johnson precisely on the grounds that

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Shakespeare’s character changes during the course of the play. When Restoration comedy, in

particular, flouted poetic justice by rewarding libertines and punishing dull-witted moralists, there was

a backlash in favour of drama, in particular, of more strict moral correspondence.

Poetic justice is a literary device in which virtue is ultimately related to the character’s own

conduct. The stricture of poetry, prose, and drama to have justice originates in Aristotle’s poetics.

Aristotle says that poetry is superior to history in that it shows what should or must occur, rather than

merely what does occur. The concept was first used in the seventeen century to express the notion

that, in literature, good should be rewarded and evil punished.

The term “Poetic Justice’ was originally applied to the consequences of actions. Going by the

above definitions, the term “poetic justice” implies that you get what you deserve in the end. It is often

equated with kind of divine will or invisible other worldly justice of the universe. As such, it would be

rather interchangeable with the Hindu karma or the platonic dikaiosyne. You cannot escape from the

consequences of your evil or immoral actions because every action has a corresponding reaction and

in the end equilibrium will be achieved.

An interesting and unusual example of poetic justice is found in Esther, chapter 7 in the Holy

Bible where Haman is executed on the gallows, 75-foot gallows constructed to hang Mordecai,

Esther’s cousin. Another example of poetic justice is found in Things Fall Apart Okonkwo was

warned by Ogbuefi Ezeudu, the oldest man in their quarter not to bear a hand in Ikemefuna’s death

because the boy calls him father. Okonkwo killed the boy because he was afraid of being thought

weak (p 43). The poetic justice of Okonkwo’s evil deeds starts manifesting when he killed the sixteen

year old boy at the funeral of Ezeudu. Okonkwo was banished so that justice will prevail in the society

despite his achievements and popularity.

2.2 Universal Justice

The concept of justice is a fundamental moral concept. This is due to the fact that it is a

basic yardstick for judging human conduct or actions as right or wrong.

Oputa in Udechukwu (2007), asserts thus:

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Human justice is all we can ever hope to achieve in our

court. Human justice, according to him should be justice

according to the law. It should be justice depicted by the

law, justice ruled by the law, under the rule of law. It

should be pure and unadulterated. it should be fair equitable

and unadulterated. It should be fair, evitable and impartial.

It should be no respecter of persons, personalities or

establishments. It should not be bought and sold.

According to most theories of justice, it is overwhelmingly important. Rawls (1999) for

instance, claims that “justice is the first virtue of social institutions as truth is of systems of

thought”. Justice can be more fundamental than benevolence, charity, mercy, generosity and

compassion. Justice has traditionally been associated with concepts of fate reincarnation or

divine providence, i.e. with the cosmic plan. The association of justice with fairness has thus

been historically and culturally rare and is perhaps chiefly a modern innovation.

Plato’s (1984) definition of justice is the harmonious relationship of the person having

and doing what is one’s own. A just man is a man in just the right place, doing his best and

giving the precise equivalent of what he has received. From the above reference, justice is said to

be done, ‘when people get what they rightly and legitimately deserve.

Aristotle (2002) also wrote about his thought on the concept of justice in the

Nicomachean Ethics. In these chapters, Aristotle defined justice in two parts, general justice and

particular justice. General justice is Aristotle’s form of universal justice that can only exist in a

perfect society. Particular justice is where punishment is given out for a particular crime or act of

injustice. This is where Aristotle says an educated judge is needed to apply just decisions

regarding any particular case. This is where we get the concept of the scales of justice, the

blindfolded judge symbolizing blind justice, balancing the scales, weighing all the evidence and

deliberating each particular case individually. Homonymy is an important theme in Aristotle’s

justice because one form of justice can apply to one, while another would be best suited for a

different person/case. Aristotle says that developing good habits can make a good human being

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and that practicing the use of the golden when applicable to virtues will allow a human being to

live a healthy, happy life.

In the beginning of recorded ethical and legal thought the term “justice” was used as

equivalent to righteousness in general. Justice comprised the whole of virtue and complete

conformity with the approved pattern of moral conduct. For purposes of rational analysis the

classic philosophers, following Aristotle, preferred to restrict the term’s reference to a particular

virtue, distinguishing, for example, between justice and equity or between justice and charity.

Nevertheless, in common usage justice still retains significant traces of its original

comprehensiveness. For this reason, the very broad concepts presented in the Hebrew Bilble and

Plato’s Republic continues to be important.

2.3 Justice as General Virtue

The bible aside from questions of theodicy and apologetics, the vast cultural influence of

the Hebrew Bible has not been attributable to precision of concept or dialectical consistency. In

certain passages, the scriptures seem to indicate that justice alone is sufficient to comprehend the

entire scheme of divinely ordained behavior; in others, they place justice in various combinations

of primary virtues, e.g. along with loving-kindness and reverence. Moreover, the emphasis shifts

markedly from the Pentateuch, which can give an opposite (and equally misleading) impression

of rejecting all general standards. Presented as they are in continual synthesis with divine

purposes and sanctions, the biblical teachings reach us not as definitions or as abstract concepts

but as practical, concrete and progressive insight.

2.4 Other Implication of Poetic Justice

Nemesis and Retribution

2.4.1 Nemesis:

Nemesis is a term derived from Greek mythology. It means the spirit of divine retribution,

vengeful fate personified as a remorseless goddess. The Encyclopedia Americana defines it as “the

10

goddess of retribution, the venger of pride, the punisher of passion, the equalizer of fortune and

misfortune”.

In drama, where nemesis occurs in form of poetic justice, it serves as a regulator of behaviours,

especially, those attitudes that appear to counter societal norms and/or those that dislocate cosmic

order and balance.

The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines nemesis as righteous indignation, just

resentment, also personified as the goddess of retribution who brings down all immoderate good

fortune, checks the presumptions that attend it and is the punisher of extraordinary crimes (313). This

definition suggests that nemesis is resentment or any disturbance of the sence of justice. The Greek

playwright portrayed vengeance in their plays. Most of the tragic heroes who fall victims of nemesis

committed the sin of hubris which like the magnet attracts nemesis.

According to Ronfeldt, (1993) in Uzuagu (2005)

Hubris is the capital sin of pride and thus the antithesis of two ethics

that the Greek valued highly: aids (humble reverence for law) and

sophrosyn (self restraint, a sense of proper limits)……

Overweening pride, self glorification, arrogance, insolence

overconfidence……..Overstepping boundaries and impiously defying

in the characters of heroes that commit hubris (107).

In the word of Rondfeld: nemesis occurs when an individual is engaged in the arrogant violation of

limits set by the gods or by human society”.

Oedipus is a Greek tragic hero, who was a victim of Hubris. Eze, (2001) in Uzuagu (2005), quoting

Akwanya states, Oedipus victory over the sphinx, made him parade himself in Thebes as a proud man

of intelligence and wisdom, “a demigod, supplicated as god, and speaking with the sole assurance of

a good among men” (83). Oedipus feels superior to the Delphic prophet because of the prophet’s

inability to interpret the sphinx’s riddle, which he (Oedipus) interpreted. It was his arrogance that

made him not to believe that he was the trouble of his land. His pride and ignorance later

metamorphosed into his being a victim of the law he thought he was creating for another person.

11

From the above statement, it can be categorically deduced that people who suffer hubris have

extreme confidence in their ability to shape events and change the world through their personal

actions. They have an inflated will, a sense of omnipotence and in invulnerability that encourage risk

taking. They have seen themselves as embodying the archetypal action oriented heroes who can

change destiny.

Some school of thought, specifically philosophy sees nemesis as “revenge in its very origin, a

revenge which has undergone a complete metamorphosis of this conception retaliation into that of

punishment.

Macbeth by Williams Shakespeare is another play crowded with nemesis. One of Macbeth’s

major shortcomings is the guilt of hubris. He so much believes in his physical power and his veto

power as king of Scotland. In this play, Macbeth, nemesis first befalls Lady Macbeth (although her

death is part of Macbeth’s nemesis because Macbeth loves her dearly).

According Uzuagu (2005), Shakespeare succeeds in using what the majority of scholars term

poetic justice to deal with evil character in Macbeth reaped what he sowed because Lady Macbeth

died and Macbeth died at last.

Also in the play Wedlock of the Gods, the actions of the tragic hero and heroine, Uloko and

Ogwoma are enveloped in a taboo. All the characters who engage in one sin or the other receive their

nemesis in proportion to their offences. Uloko and Ogwoma simultaneously violated the law of the

land without remorse. Their secret love affair results in Ogwoma becoming pregnant. Unfortunately

for them, nemesis awaits them at the end both of them died.

In the play, A Dance of the Dead the play seeks to harmonize the conflict between human

feeling and the circumstance of life. Ngozi abandons Okey who has been traditionally accepted as her

would be husband, to acquire a sugar- Daddy in the person of Chief Nwoye, a man who is as statantic

as he is phlegmatic. Ngozi’s betrayal of his kinsmen’s honour, her sin of pride and disobedience to her

mother find a nemesis of reaction as well as retribution in her ruin.

Another facet of poetic justice is retributive. (The law of “Kama”]

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2.4.2 Retribution

Retribution is good, it is right and proper without regard to ulterior consequences that evil

should be returned for evil and that as man deals with others so too shall he be dealt with. An eye for

an eye is deemed a plain and sufficient rule of natural justice.

Kant does not see retribution as a part of intuitive moral knowledge. Alternatively, he offers a theory

of punishment that is based on his view that bad acts should be reciprocated accordingly. Going by

Kants (1995) view, punishment is the right of any offender. It is an act of his own will, the violation of

which has been proclaimed by the offender as his own right.

In Macbeth, the retributive justice of Macbeth’s evil deeds start manifesting with the visit of

Banquo’s ghost. Lady Macbeth is allowed to suffer mental retardation before she finally died and this

is the end result of retributive.

In the play Wedlock of the God’s, in the end, everybody that commits one kind of evil or another,

meets equal retribution either in form of anguish of the soul like Nneka or in form of death like Odebi,

Uloko and Ogwoma. This implies that the retributive action is as a result of the offense

committed.

Another example of retributive justice is found in Dịbịa na-Agwọ Otoro by Ọfọmata (2000). In

this play, Chiọma is a sadist. She causes the death of her husband through her bad behaviour. She

attempts to destroy Ngọzika and her children. Chioma is so inhuman that she rejoices over the death

of Nkemjika, Ngọzi’s father. She carries out a lot of nefarious activities on Ngọzi. Eventually, what

she has been working so assiduously to achieve in Ngọzika’s family happens to her. She loses her

only son in a mysterious way.

Also in Ihe Onye Metara by Ofomata (1996) Nwọhịa, Okechi and Onwuha are three wicked

companions. They menace their town Alaukwu through poisoning, committing murder and other

atrocities. When their cup of evil gets full, they murder Ohahuru, a man of the people in Umunka

while Onwuha gets killed by Dagburi people who cook and eat his flesh, use his teeth to make a

bangle for Ozo Uruagwu, and his skin to make a special drum for Dagburu warriors. The three reap

the harvest of their wickedness.

13

2.5 Drama and its Classification

The term “drama” is a term that derived from a Greek word “dran” As an imaginative work

of art, drama is written as a script to be acted on stage (Anyachonkeya, 2006). The emphasis is not on

story, which is a linguistic action, but an action and dialogue performance.

According to the New Encyclopedia Britannica volume

“Drama not only represents life but also is a way of seeing. There can be not certain limit to

the modes of composition open to the dramatist”.

Drama in some form is found in almost every society, primitive or civilized and has served a wide

variety of functions in the community.

It is true that drama is a form of literature but it differs from other literary forms in the way it is

presented.

A well known definition, by the seventeenth century playwright and critic, John Dryden, stated; a

play ought to be, a just and lively image of human nature, reproducing the passion and humors, and

the changes of fortune to which it is subject, for the delight and instruction of mankind.

In the nineteenth century, the German critic Freytag offered the following; Not the presentation of a

passion for itself but a passion which leads to action is the business of dramatic art, not the

presentation of an event for itself, but for the effect on a human soul is the dramatist’s mission. More

recently, as dramatic criticism has multiplied, we have had an abundance of definitions.

Drama as a literary composition tells a story usually of human conflict by means of dialogue

and action and should be performed on the stage by actors from an audience.

According to Bernard (1974) drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance, though

it has also come to refer to a specific genre of fiction (either comedy or tragedy) involving a serious

mood and conflict. Boulton (1960) describes drama as literature that walks. The assertion implies that

drama is a specific of literature that is alive and enacted in live performance. In order that drama

carries out its message successfully so as the plot, character, situation and setting are to be imaginable

and realizable on stage too. According to Paul. P. (1988). Drama is tension. In the context of a play in

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a theatre, tension often means that the audience is expecting something to happen between the

characters on a stage. Will they shoot each other? Will they finally confess their undying love for one

another? Will Oedipus figure out that he was the one that causes the plague by killings his father and

sleeping with his mother?

Play writing is a dramatic art wherein the playwright present human being moved by a powerful

force to which they are committed in a purist of a very strong desire. The characters are living beings

whose history we see unfold before us as they tell their own story, living, suffering, achieving and

failing.

The playwright generally focuses on the society and realities of life as he knows it because drama

should reflect reality so there must be a presentation of society and realties of social and identifiable

cultural experiences, it has to be relevant to its audience experiences, beliefs world preview and life

style generally.

Generally, drama is a form of literature that is intended for performance in a stage or theater.

It is made up of creative activity that is communicated through performance. It involves dialogue and

actions that is represented by gestures, costumes, scenery like in real life. It strives to solve human

problem through play.

Moreso, drama must be written by somebody through whom we see the characters of the writer, the

writer of any play or drama is affected consciously or unconsciously by the conditions under which he

conceived and unites, by his social and economic status, his personal background, his religion,

political inclination and by his purpose.

We shall now digress a little and see Igbo drama on which our texts are based on. Igbo drama

originated right from the day people took the name Igbo. Igbo drama is seen in the daily life of the

people both in their religion, work and even politics.

Many educated people have written a lot about drama and other literary works. These write- ups are

seen in many languages. Literarily, Igbo dramas are basically oral and as such knows as oral tradition.

They have the characteristics of a good triumph over evils, truth, falsehood and so on, but one

fantastic thing about Igbo dramas is that they present the images as non- human, and at the same time

show values in human vicissitudes. Igbo dramas however, seem to embody the literary aspects in Igbo

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oral tales, riddles, proverbs, histories, legends, myths, novels and others which grow from and from

the root of Igbo life, its culture and world view.

Epuchịe (1994) defines drama as a story told with the hope of displaying it on the stage for people to

see.

Ụbani (1994) in Ubọchi (1994) sees Igbo drama as the display of an imaginary or true story. He also

defines it as the display of an imaginary or true story. He also defines it as the display of a folk story,

and the display of a story where people assume the roles of characters in the required costumes, and

display in the stage before the audience.

Igbo scholars divided Igbo drama into two viz- the traditional or folkdrama and the modern drama.

2.5.1 Written Igbo Plays

A play may be defined as coherent story enacted through action by a group of character. Play is

made up to strictly ordered sequence of events. On the other hand, play could be referred to as

recreation or what we do for fun. This way, it is seen as an inborn and vital part of young life. A play,

therefore tells its tale by the imitation of human behaviour. Aristotle, (1969:12), the remoteness or

nearness of that behaviour to the real life of audience can importantly affect the response of that

audience. It may be in awe of what it sees, or it may laugh with detached superiority at clownish

antics, or it may feel sympathy. These differences are important because it is by opening or closing

this aesthetic gap between the stage and the audience that a dramatist is able to control the spectator’s

experience of the play and gave it a purpose.

Modern Igbo plays owe their basic impetus to the introduction of European dramatic technique.

We had and still have folkloric drama of mmọnwụ, ritual drama of worship, history, dance, drama,

certain kinds of wrestling etc; these are presented in the theatre- in- the round or the Obom theatre

where actors are surrounded by spectators and intermingle with them in some cases.

Modern Igbo plays attempts a synthesis between traditional dramatic material and the western

stage and production technique. We see the Igbo playwright trying to exploit the various genres or oral

tradition in these modern dramas. His concern is to achieve a theatre that is total in relation of his aim

of writing. The era of written Igbo drama started in 1974 with the publication of Udo Ka Mma by Dr.

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A.B Chukwezi and Ụmụ Ejima by Prof S.O Mezu. From then till now, many Igbo playwright through

their efforts and training have recorded authorship of many Igbo plays. Nwadike (1998:110-111 and

2002) listed forty- one (41) of such plays but presently, more than fifty Igbo have been published.

One can say that the Igbo modern drama could not grow as in other areas in Africa. Its delay

has been attributed to the conflict that delayed writing Igbo Literature. Ụbani (1994) defined Igbo

modern Drama as consisting of stories of what is happening in Igbo land today. He postulated that it

has both the oral and written forms like the traditional drama. One of the characteristics of modern

Igbo drama is its ability to portray life when Igbo have been colonized.

Furthermore, it is displayed on a stage and the audience does not come near as in the case of

traditional drama. Another major feature of modern Igbo drama is that it may be performed either at

nights or in the board day light.

Scholars have divided Igbo modern drama into several classes:

2.5.2 Tragedy: It is a serious play that ends in sad mood. The tragic figure is always “high born”

well placed in the society. A poor man cannot be a tragic figure. The death of a tragic figure is always

as a result of the tragic flaw in him. According to Aristotle, a tragedy is the imitation in dramatic form

or an action that is serious and complete with it effect a catharsis of such emotions. Tragedy is

presented in the form of action, not narrative. It is serious by nature in its theme and deals with

profound problems. In classical tragedy we find a protagonist at the centre of the drama that is a great

person, usually of upper class birth. He is a good man that can be admired, but he has a tragic flaw, a

hamartia, that will be the ultimate caused of his downfall. This tragic flaw can take on many

characteristics but it is most often too much pride or hubris. The protagonist always learns, usually too

late, the nature of his flaw and his mistakes that have cause his downfall. He becomes self aware and

accepts the instability of his fate and takes fully responsibility of his actions. With the climax and final

end and audience will have learned a lesson and will have the theatre not depressed or sullen, but

uplifted and enlightened.

Tragedy as defined by Boulton (1960) is a play with a sorrowful ending, usually at least one death:

the action and thought are at least treated serious and with a respect for human personality. Good

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examples of tragic plays include: Obidiya By Akọma, Ọku Ghara Ite and Nwata Rie Awọ by

Onyekaọnwụ, Ọnwụ na- Egbu Nwa Nkịta by Anọzie and Igboakụ, Ihe Onye Metere by Okediadi,

Okwe Agabaala by Nwadike, etc.

The language used is pleasurable and throughout appropriate to the situation in which is used. The

Chief characters are notable personages (better than Ourselves, says Aristotle) and the actions they

perform are noble actions. Finally by tragedy, we mean a play that portrays a serious conflict between

human beings and some superior, overwhelming force. It ends sorrowfully and disastrously, and the

outcome seems inevitable.

Classical example is Macbeth in Macbeth by William Shakespeare. (1998), Wedlock of the

Gods by Sofala Zulu (1972).

2.5.3 Comedy: It is anything the actors do or say which is intended to make the audience laugh

and to succeed. The audience laughs at the nothingness of man.

Comedy, from the Greek Komos, “a revel”, is thought to have originated in festivities to

celebrate spring, ritual performances in praise of Dionysus, god of fertility and wine. In dramas,

comedy may be broadly defines as whatever makes us laugh. A comedy may be a name of one entire

play, or we may say that there is comedy in only part of a plays as in a comic character or comic

situation.

Comedy should have the view of a “comic spirit” and is physical and energetic. It is tied up in

birth and renewal, this is the reason most comedy end in weddings, which suggest a union of couple

and the expected birth of children. In comedy there is absence of pain and emotional reactions, as with

tragedy, and a replace use of man’s intellect. The behavior of the character presented in comedy is

ludicrous and sometimes absurd and the result in the audience is one of correction of behavior. This

correction of behavior is the didactic element of comedy that acts as a mirror for society, by which the

audience learns.

Taylor (1981) is also of the view that in comedy the expected order of things suffers a

distortion and returns to normality. Comedy includes many forms like comedies of romantic love,

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comedy of errors, satire, comedy of manners, comedy of humors, tragicomedy, etc. Works of these

forms abound in Igbo literary circles. For example, Nwata Bulie Nna Ya Elu by Nwadike; Ụmụ Ejima

by Mezu; Udo ka Mma by Chukwuezi etc. The comic devices used by playwright; of comedy are:

exaggeration, incongruity, surprise, repetition, wisecracks and sarcasm.

2.5.4 Tragic Comedy: This involves tragedy and comedy

2.5.5 Melodrama

Melodrama is drama of disaster and differs from tragedy significantly. It arouses pity and fear

through crude means. Good and evil are clearly depicted in white and black motifs. All of the aspects

of related guilt or responsibility of the protagonist are removed. The protagonist is usually a victim of

circumstance. He is acted upon by the antagonist or anti- hero and suffers without having to accept

responsibility and inevitability of fate. In melodrama we have clearly defined character types with

good guys and bad guys identified.

Melodrama has a sense of strict moral judgment. All issues presented in the plays are resolved

in a well defined way. The good characters are rewarded and the bad characters are punished in a

means that fits the crime. Finally, According to Ukachukwu (1987) a melodrama may have a happy or

sad ending. If it ends sadly, it ends in a sort of screaming or shouting which may be made by lunatic

or somebody else. If it is happy ending, it ends in a continual pondering to the public desire for a great

excitement.

2.5.6 Farce: Is a type of comedy designed to provoke the audience to simple, hearty laughter.

“Belly laughs” is the parlance of the theater. It is extreme comedy. Men wore women attire and vice-

versa

2.5.7 Satiric Comedy: This is used to fight the ills that plague the society. For instance it includes

the Television play Masquerade of Zebrudaya Okoroigwe Nwaogbo, Elias 4:30. From the foregoing,

we can see that both the Igbo oral drama and the Igbo modern dramas are filled with the traditional

culture of the Igbo.

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Apart from the general classification of drama, Nwadike (1998) classified Igbo drama according to the

following themes: satire, folklore, revenge. vaulting/inordinate ambition, greed, morality didacticism,

corruption e.t.c All these themes embrace total activities of man in society. They range from historical,

religious, economic, social and political issues that shape the peoples lives. These plays serve as

means of entrainment or warning against the evil in the society.

Finally, a drama is a very good medium to let the society seen in practical terms, how

retributive justice operates. Nemesis when applied in drama could lead to social change in the

behavioural patterns of many people. The techniques of Nemesis and poetic justice are jointly used to

re-establish the preponderance of positive devotion to that moral ethics through which the society

thrives. Drama employs the use of the technique of poetic justice to establish those norms, values and

ethics by which the society grows and thrives. Eze (2001) Nwabueze (1992:226) feel that drama

acting as a referee tries to correct those who violate the rule of the game, the game of life” by

instructing us on those attitudes and values that drama helps to create “balance between the social

demands on individual and the individual’ needs to maintain self esteem in the face of all these

demands”.

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CHAPTER THREE

3.0 SYNOPSES OF THE TEXTS

In this section of our work, synopses of the five text under study are examined.

Obidiya - Enyinna Akoma (1977)

Nwata Rịe Awọ - Onyekaonwu G. O (1985)

Eriri Mara Ngwugwu - Onyekaonwu G. O (1985)

Ome Ihe Jide Ọfọ - Nwaozuzu G. I (1991)

Okwe Agbaala - Nwadike, I. U (1992)

3.1 Obidiya- This text is an Igbo play written by Rev. Israel Enyinna Akọma. Obidiya is a

satire on corruption. It is also a tragedy. Obidiya as a tragic play centers on two families, those of

Oriakụ Dike and Ọnụma Ejimọfọnna. They are citizens of Ụmụegbu. Oriakụ is represented as a

lord and a greedy person, while Ọnụma is a pauper and contented with what he has. Oriakụ is

polygamous, Ọnụma is monogamous and happily married. Oriaku who is a rich man wants to

take Ọnụma’s piece of land from him because he feels that, the land is in a strategic position, but

Ọnụma refuses. The law court settles the case in favour Ọnụma and orders Oriakụ to leave the

land for Ọnụma. But Oriakụ does not accept the decision of the court. He insists on taking the

land; Ọnụma refuses the offer, because of the refusal, Oriakụ swears to deal badly with Ọnụma.

Oriakụ hires assassins who kill Ọnụma when his wife Obidiya is away to the market and bury

him in a very desolate place. Not only that, Oriakụ is shown as an evil man who poisons and kills

many people and commits other atrocities.

On the return of Obidiya, she is astonished that her husband is killed by unknown

persons. She is determined to avenge the death of her husband, refuses to report the matter to the

police as suggested by the chief of the village. She prepares herself to die for the right cause.

Obidiya is prepared to do anything in order to avenge her husband’s death, she consults

Akakaka, a diviner and medicine man.

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The diviner invokes the spirit of Ọnụma who informs her that he is killed by three

persons sponsored by Oriakụ because of the land in dispute. He reveals where his corpse is

buried in a marshy area near a big tree on the bank of a stream; that he is restless until the matter

is finally disposed of. Akakaka directs Obidiya on what to do and she complies. Obidiya leaves

no stone unturned to avenge her husband's death. In the end, Obidiya requests Akakaka to do

whatever possible to exterminate the family of Oriakụ. She pays substantially for the service.

Akakaka consults the very hired assassins that killed Ọnụma and buy them over to kill

Oriakụ with the charm which he prepares; he causes the death of the children of Oriakụ. Oriakụ

with all his wealth and position in the society dies the most shameful and abominable death

which baffled everybody in the community. It is not only that Oriakụ died, his corpse is dumped

in a river. His children both far and near, including Chima his son, studying in America dies

mysteriously. When the situation becomes so bad, both the servants and the wives of Oriakụ

deserts their home, thus Oriakụ’s family members left and the house becomes desolate. An

oracle, Ọzụzụ, finally claims Oriakụ’s wealth and possession. In this way, Oriakụ’s family with

all its wealth and prominent position in society turns out to be an object of mockery.

3.2 Okwe Agbaala – The text is an Igbo play written by Nwadike (1991). In the play,

Dr. Emezina is a lecturer and Head of Department of Culture and Tradition in Obinozora. Dr

Emezina has never had any illicit affairs with students or leaked examination questions before

the examination date. He leaks the examination questions to Chinyere Ebule a female student

who seduces him. She enters Dr Emezina’s office and begins to lure him in many ways. The

seduction makes Dr Emezina leak the examination question to her. He goes further to punish

Ozuruigbo Ibeneme, whom he suspects is Chinyere’s boyfriend. He marks him down in the

examination. This results his failing the degree examination.

Dr Emezina meets Ozuruigbo in Chinyere’s room, Chinyere denies being friendly with

Ozuruigbo. When Ozuruigbo saw Chinyere solving the leaked examination questions, she

distracted him from seeing what she is doing. Chinyere broadcasted that she will make A in the

course which every other student was scared of.

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Ozuruigbo is dissatisfied in the degree examination result. He strongly believes that Dr

Emezina who had vowed to deal with him when he meet him at Chinyere’s room is behind his

failure. Therefore, he makes a case against Dr Emezina before the university senate, accusing

Chinyere Egbule for examination malpractice and also Dr Emezina of failing him in the

examination. The university senate resolves that Dr Emezina’s appointment and salary should be

suspended, pending the determination of the case in the court of law. The Registrar of the

university in her official capacity litigates against Dr Emezina in a court of law where it is

established that Dr Emezina is guilty of the charges against him. He is sentenced to two years

imprisonment with hard labour . The court rules that Chinyere result should be cancelled, and

send out from the school, and that Oziuruigbo’s degree examination should be reviewed, and a

deserving result should be given to him.

3.3 Nwata Rịe Awọ (Ọ Jụọ Anụ) – Onyekaonwu G. O (1980)

Awọrọ is a renowned wrestler in Amangwu. Son of Obidike, he is called upon by the Eze

Ozurumba of Amangwu (through Duru) to defend the prestige of Amangwu by wrestling with

Akatọọsi of Amaudele. Anagbogu recounts his victory over many other wrestlers like

Akatamkpo, Atakataagbuo Uduumọọtari and Ọtakaagụ in wrestling matches.

He defeats Akatọọsi in the wrestling competition and this success attracts him to

everybody because he has saves his people of Amangwu from the challenges and cajoling of the

people of Amaudele. It is for this love which the entire people of Amangwu have for Awọrọ that

wins him the love of Obiọma, the daughter of Okwukọgụ of Isiama. Obiọma rejects her fiancé

(Anene) in order to marry Awọrọ. She runs away from her parents and goes to live in the home

of Awọrọ who eventually marries her. Aworo from all indication has no love for Obiọma. He

marries Obiọma against his will but for his father’s wish. Obiọma who is betrothed to Anene

who probably loves her, but because of her looking for a man of substance and popularity, she

chooses to marry Awọrọ who is a more popular man than Anene. Awọrọ marries Obiọma under

duress but later loathes her.

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Obiọma who runs to Awọrọ to marry her does not experience peace in her husband’s

house. She is sorrowful and unhappy. After the marriage, he still goes out for other Amangwu

girls. The marriage becomes sour because Obiọma gives birth to a baby girl instead of a boy

which Awọrọ wants. Awọrọ develops deep hatred for his wife. In order to get rid of his wife,

Awọrọ accuses her of poisoning his food.

Nwadike (1984: 34) has this to say…………..

Ọ bụ n’ihi na Awọrọ ahụghị Obiọma n’anya ka o

jiri na-agba elu elu. Ọ bụ n’ihi mkpọmasị ka o jiri

were nsi tinye na nri ya wee bo ya Obiọma. N’ihi ya

kwa ka o jiri kpọlaa nwunye ya ma refuokwa ya na

nwa ya .

(Awọrọ avoided Obiọma because of lack of love. It

is because of hatred that he poisons his own food

and accuses Obiọma of doing that and because of

this reason he sends her and her child away.)

It is this allegation that finally leads to the dissolution of the marriage. Although the marriage is

terminated, Awọrọ still goes ahead and plans for the kidnapping of Obiọma and her daughter and

sells them into slavery. Obiọma’s daughter, Ọdinchefu, is re-sold, and fifteen years later, Awọrọ

wants to marry again but unknowingly, marrys his own daughter, Ọdịnchefu. Ọdinchefu is the

second wife and daughter of Awọrọ. He adores her so much even when she is always disturbed

about her childlessness. Awọrọ shows much concern for her health and takes her to a native

doctor to find out the cause of her ill- health. He consults a diviner who informs him that until

the first wife whom he has sold into slavery with the daughter is found and brought back, the

solution to this problem cannot be solved. He is further informed that the home coming of the

first wife is a two edged- sword. It will bring about happiness and blessing to the family as well

as a source of woes.

Awọrọ goes in search of Obiọma as revealed by the diviner. At the end, Obiọma is found

and brought back. In accordance with the revelation, there is joy in Awọrọ’s family, Ọdinchefu is

pregnant. For this reason, Awọrọ organizes a party which is attended by many. It is in this

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ceremony that Obiọma and her daughter identify each other as mother and daughter who are co-

wives to a husband. Awọrọ’s promiscuity leads him to commit incest which is an abomination.

And anybody who commits incest must cleanse the land and atone for his abomination. Awọrọ,

to avoid people talking about him each time he passes, he decides to commit suicide.

3.4 Ome Ihe Jide Ọfọ by G.I Nwaozuzu, (1991)

Ome Ihe Jide Ọfọ is a play set in Ụmụndem community. Igwe Ọduenyi is the king of the

community. He rules with his executive council. The council helps in deciding cases in the

community. With time, Ọdụenyi falls sick. He notices that he is not going to survive. He decides

to notify his cabinet. He invites members of his cabinet for a meeting. In attendance is his first

son, Ụbaji. During the meeting, Igwe Ọdụenyi informs them of the deterioration of his health and

also his fear of not surviving. He pleads with his cabinet, especially the chief adviser, Duru

Nnanyelugo, to give his first son all the necessary assistance, support and advise him when he

eventually succeeds him as the chief of Ụmụndem. They all agree and accept the chief’s

requests.

Later, Chief Ọduenyi dies, and a year after his death, his first son, Ụbaji, matures to be

enthroned as king in place of his father as tradition demands. Within him (Ụbaji) he feels that it

is necessary to first get married before becoming the king. He therefore starts to arrange to marry

a girl from their place, named Adakụ. Ochediye, the wife of late Igwe Ọduenyi, Ụbaji’s step

mother, starts to nurse ill feeling against Ụbaji in order to deprive him of his position as king and

shifts the kingship position to his son, Nkwọnta. Eight days before the kingship installation,

Ochediye poisons the mind of his son, Nkwọnta against Ụbaji. She alleges that Ụbaji is

domineering and that he wants to cunningly deny Nkwọnta a fair share of his father’s property.

Truly speaking, Nkwọnta thought of this and starts to hate Ụbaji.

In order to gain Duru Nnanyelugo’s favour, Ochediye paints Ụbaji black before him. She

alleges that Ụbaji claims that he will replace Duru Nnayelugo with Duru Ihuọma who has been

his assistant all through as the chief adviser when he becomes the king of Ụmụndem. Secondly,

she alleges that Ụbaji has become so arrogant because he is about to be the king. Duru

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Nnanyelugo imagines what he will lose if he is removed. He then teams up with Ochediye. They

consult a native doctor who prepares charm which is used to make Ụbaji mad. Ụbaji becomes

mad.

The issue of Ụbaji becoming the new king and his marriage to Adakụ are suspended.

Duru Nnanyelugo convinces the other members of the council not to wait for too long in

replacing the deceased. When the issue of consulting a diviner to unveil the cause of Ụbaji’s

madness is raised by the Ụbaji family and members of the community, none takes serious

concern about it. Duru Nnanyelugo succeeds in convincing them that it is long the office of the

king has been vacant, and that instead of finding a remedy to Ụbaji’s case, they should rather

install Nkwọnta as the new king, since Nkwọnta is Ụbaji’s brother. Nkwọnta hurries and gets

married to Orie and both are coronated the king and the king’s wife respectively and are

scheduled to be formally presented to the community on a later date.

Before the date of the formal presentation of Nkwọnta as the king of Ụmụndem,

Alagbaọsọ, Ụbaji’s maternal grandfather visits king Nkwọnta and his executive council and

shows his annoyance over their non- challant attitude towards Ụbaji’s problem. He condemns

them for not trying to take care of Ụbaji’s mental problem and installing Ụbaji’s junior brother,

Nkwọnta, as the king. He also tells them that a diviner says that Ụbaji’s illness is caused by his

kinsmen. Based on these revelations, Nkwọnta and Duru Nnanyelugo order him out. He leaves.

After the meeting, Duru Nnanyelugo, Nkwọnta and Ochediye plan to teach Alagbaọsọ a lesson

that he will never forget in his life.

Alagbaọsọ is visited by Duru Ihuọma based on his visit to them, Alagbaọsọ initially feels

that Duru Ihuọma has come to spy on him but when Duru Ihuọma declares his stand, Alagbaọsọ

opens up and discloses his findings and plans concerning Ụbaji’s madness. He also tells him that

Ọkparakụ, the native doctor who prepares the mad charm has also prepared the substance that

will stop the effects of the poison, and also the charm which should be deposited where the entire

Ụmụndem people will pass through, that whosoever that has a hand in Ụbaji’s madness or knows

about it without revealing it, will die a shameful death. Duru Ihuọma helps him and puts the

charm where the new king and his wife are to be presented the next day.

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On the date for the formal presentation of Nkwọnta and his wife to the people, as

Nkwọnta stands up to address the people, he gets mad immediately and is taken home where he

dies. As he was being taking home, Duru Nnanyelugo is bitten by a snake. He dies in the house

of a native doctor. When Ochediye sees that his son, Nkwọnta, has died, she hangs herself.

Ụbaji becomes sound again and he formalizes his marriage with Adakụ. Both of them are

coronated and formally presented to the people of Ụmụndem as the king and king’s wife

respectively. Ụbaji shows unreserved appreciation to his maternal grandfather, his brother and

Duru Ihuọma for being on his side during the period of his predicament. He installs Duru Ihuọma

as his Chief adviser, and his younger brother, Anyanwụ ,is given the Ọzọ title.

3.5 Eriri mara Ngwugwu By Onyekaọnwụ (1985)

In this play, Mrs. Okwundụ reports her husband to the police because of his evil

dealings. He is a ritualist and murderer. He is imprisoned for twenty years. While in prison, he

vows to kill his wife whenever he comes out from the police custody. Because of that, Mrs

Okwundụ runs to Iguedo with her two children, Okoto and Ụdakụ. They settle there for several

years until her children grow up and inquire from their mother who their father is and his

whereabouts. She narrates the story to them and informs them that their father vows to kill her as

soon as he comes out of the prison custody.

When he is released, a close friend to Mrs Okwundụ sends a man to Iguedo to inform her

that her husband has been released and that he is in search of her to kill her. Okwuike vows to

kill Mrs okwundu and succeeds in killing her. After their mother’s death, Ụduakụ marries

Ndụbụisi. She is an ambitious money- monger who loves to impose her will on others. After her

encounter with Ọchọnganooko, who promises her everything, on her wedding day, she elopes

with Ọchọnganooko who is a wealthy young and handsome man. They leave immediately for

overseas where they get married and have two female children, Ikoeze and Ogechi. While at

overseas, they lives for fifteen years and come back to their home town, Ikpangu, where he

understands that the issue for male child in the family is very important. Ụdụakụ becomes

pregnant again and her husband threatens to divorce her if she ever gives birth to a baby girl. She

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liaises with a nurse, bribes her to exchange her baby at birth if it happens to be a baby girl, for a

baby boy. On the day of delivery, Ụdụakụ delivers of a baby girl and the nurse does as agreed

with Ụdụakụ, she gives her Mrs Ọkpala Okwuolisa’s baby boy after her delivery.

The two babies grow in their respective homes. Taagbo becomes a student in Ọtamkpa

University while Nneka becomes a teacher in Iguedo. The two become friends and have plan to

marry each other. Ọchọnganooko, influences Nneka with his wealth and starts having love affair

with his own daughter. Ọchọnganooko refuses to approve of Taagbo’s intention to get married to

Nneka. He did this because of his secret relationship with Nneka.

The nurse is dismissed from her work due to her rude behaviour towards a

commissioner’s wife. Based on that, she accepts Christ and becomes a born- again. One day, as

she is praying with her pastor, the pastor receives a revelation of all that she did and advises her

to go and confess her sins before God. She goes and confesses to both families. Ụdụakụ on

hearing this runs away to her brother’s house at Iguedo. Ọchọnganooko becomes ashamed of his

immoral act for committing incest with his own daughter, Nneka.

The matter between the two families is settled by some elders of their town. Tagboo and

Nneka are asked to marry each other for that will bring peace into the two families. Tagboo goes

back to his parents, Mr and Mrs Okwuolisa while Nneka returns to Ọchọnganooko. They all

agree on bringing Ụdụakụ back to her husband’s house. Ụdụakụ comes back and pleads for

forgiveness, yet Ọchọnganooko remains unhappy with her. In order to get rid of her, he plans

with ritual murderers to kill her and claim that she is drowned in a river. However, Ụdụakụ was

rescued by his real father okwuike who happened to be one of the murderers. When he

recognized her as his daughter, he stopped the action of killing and brought her back to her

husband. The burial arrangement is on when she is brought back by her father, Okwuike

Ogbunanjọ, who rescues her from the killers. Ọchọnganooko becomes ashamed of him self.

When Okwuike learns about his son’s whereabouts, he comes to see him, and Okoto finds out

that Okwuike is his father, he remembers his mother who was killed by his father, dashes out and

stabs Okwuike to death. Ọchọnganooko enters into his room and commits suicide.

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CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 POETIC JUSTICE IN THE SELECTED TEXTS

4.1 Preamble

In this chapter, an attempt is made to show the various forms of poetic justice as they

are portrayed in the various Igbo plays used for this study. The texts include;

Obidiya

Nwata Rie Awọ

Eriri mara Ngwugwu

Ome Ihe Jide ọfọ and

Okwe Agbaala.

4.2 Obidiya

In Obidiya, Oriakụ is covetous of Ọnụma’s piece of land. Already he is wealthy, and

reserves most of his money in the bank; still he is not contented. He is still interested in Ọnụma’s

small piece of land. He lives out the adage which is,

“Onye bu anụ enyi n’isi were ọkpa na-abọ nte”

(One carrying a dead elephant on the head, yet

picking up a cricket with his toes.)

Oriakụ, uses his level in the society to usurp Ọnụma’s piece of land. Ọnụma resists him,

consequently he engages the services of hired assassins who in the absence of Obidiya, kill

Ọnụma. After murdering Ọnụma, Oriakụ says to himself:

29

Ka m ṅujue mmanya afọ taa. Taa bụ

ụbọchi ukwu na ndụ m. Emezuela m

ka dimkpa si eme (p. 57)

(Let me be merry; let me drink to my satisfaction

today that I have performed like a strong man)

Consequent upon the death of Ọnụma, his wife, Obidiya, revenges by contracting a native doctor

whom she prays to:

Mechiere m ezi na ụlọ onye ahụ ziri ndị mmadụ ka

ha gbuo di m (p 46)

(Wipe out the family of the person, who sponsored

the killing of my husband, make it entirely

desolate).

Oriakụ was poisoned by the hired killers (ndị Ogbuisi) in the town. All his children dies and his

house becomes desolate. That is poetic justice. Oriakụ reaps what he sows. There is a reversal

statement, Oriakụ said that he will kill Ọnụma and marry Obidiya but instead, he died and

followed Ọnụma.

Nwadike (1982: 101) says of Oriakụ’s demonstration of richness, greed and wickedness.

Oriakụ, nwoke bara ọgaranya chọrọ ịnara Ọnụma

ala ya,ma ndị ụlọ ikpe hụrụ nke a ka mmegbu wee

gwa ya ka ọ hapụrụ Ọnụma ala ya. Site n’echiche

gbagọrọ agbagọ Oriakụ goo ndị ogbu isi ndị bịara

n’ụlọ Ọnụma mgbe nwunye ya gara ahia were napụ

ya ndụ ya, mgbe chi ya ka dị n’ụtụtụ.

(The wealthy Oriakụ wanted to deprive Ọnụma of

his land but the court of law saw it as maltreatment

and ordered him to leave the land for Ọnụma.

Thinking foolishly, Oriakụ hired assassins who

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went to Ọnụma’s house when his wife went to the

market and caused his untimely death.)

Ikeokwu and Onyejekwu (2004 :100), say:

Ikpe mara Oriakụ (Ọgaranya) ebe ikpe gaara

Ọnụma (ogbenye) Oriakụ ekwetaghị

n’ịkpenkwumọọtọ ndị omenaala na kọt kpere, ma

kpebie n’onwe ya na ya ga-eji ikikere nke aka ya

(jungle justice) zụọ ndị ogbuisi ga- egbu Ọnụma.

Oriakụ (wealthy man) lost the case but Ọnụma

(poor man) won the case. Oriakụ did not believe in

the justice passed by the chief and his cabinet and

also the court, instead he decided on his own on a

jungle justice to hire assassins who killed Ọnụma.

From the above references, one thing is certain; ikpe nkwụmọọtọ became a judgement that

conforms to the tradition (Omenaala). Igbo culture is heavy in tradition and law that focuse on

justice and fairness. We are meant to understand through ụmụ Nnadi that the three people who

killed Ọnụma, Ndi ogbuisi were sentenced to death for killing Ọnụma. (p 62-63) On the other

hand, Ụgadiya is portrayed as a bad wife of Oriakụ; she knows all her husband, bad behavior and

supports him. She is also punished. The retributive justice of Ụgadiya’s evil deeds starts

manifesting immediately the husband died; she suffers too much because all her children died.

She lost everything she had on earth, and left the husband’s house empty handed. All these

calamities fall on her because she supports evil. That is poetic justice.

4.3 Nwata Rie Awọ (Ọ juọ anụ)

Awọrọ is the protagonist in this play, loved by all because he saved his people of

Amangwu from the challenge and shame of Amangwu. It is this love that attracts Obiọma to

reject her fiancé in order to marry Awọrọ. She runs away from her parents and goes to live with

Awọrọ who eventually marries her. The marriage becomes sour when Obiọma gives birth to a

baby girl instead of a baby boy. His journey to death starts when he plans to get rid of his wife

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through dubious means; he accuses her of poisoning his food. He sells her with her daughter into

slavery.

After fifteen years of selling the wife, he remarries and the woman happens to be his

daughter. In the end, he commits incest with his daughter, Ọdinchefu which attracts the penalty

of death and he commits suicide. Poetic justice is sustained through the use of tragic movement.

The soul that sinneth must die. Awọrọ dies because of the incest that he commits

On the other hand, Obiọma is the architect of her misfortune. She is foolish and selfish,

she fails to find out whether Awọrọ loves her, and she imposes herself on him. She rejects all the

warning from her father and her friend, Ekemma. If she had heeded those timely warnings, she

would have been saved from the difficulties she encountered as a result of her marriage to Awọrọ

and would probably have saved Awọrọ from ruin

Ekemma : ọgba nhọ di aghaghị ịlụta eke ọgba…ị

jụla obi chụọ Chike, gbanahụ Oti. Hapụ Eke. Ugbu

a, Anene eluwala gị ilu. P 33

(…… One who rejects suitors will definitely marry

the python…… you rejected Obi, drove away

Chike, runs away from Oti, abandoned Eke, and

now Anene no longer fancies you.)

Ekemma sounds prophetic in order to prevent Obiọma from marrying Awọrọ. But Obiọma

thoughtlessness prevails and she plunges into an unhappy marriage.

Okwukọgụ:

kama na ihe a ga-amata bụ mkpị mbugowe adịghi

agba. A gbagọrọ we rigochaa elu, O rukwe na nrịda

ya, gbagọ gbagọ aghaghị ịdị ya (p 38).

(….But all I know is that a he-goat that is forced on

a she-goat does not experience erection. If a

crooked way is followed while climbing up, when

climbing down, crookedness will be unavoidable.)

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Okwukọgụ, Obiọma’s father, tried to prevent his daughter from marrying Awọrọ; he sees what is

going to happen in her life if she marries Awọrọ. Ekemma and Okwukọgụ sound prophetic as

though they know what will happen in the future. The marriage is contracted but later turns sour.

Awọrọ hates Obiọma and abuses her. On one occasion he insults her.

Ewu, leenụ ka ọnụ dị gị (p 38)

(Goat, look at your mouth.)

This implies that she has an ugly mouth. He hates her more when she has a baby girl instead of a

baby boy. This is where her nemesis starts. She is sold away after being accused of poisoning her

husband’s food. After fifteen years she comes back to be her daughter’s co-wife. Interestingly

enough, Awọrọ and Obiọma become victims of poetic justice as each is punished accordingly.

Obiọma suffers because of her bad character, she receives a full dose of her punishment for

being bad.

Relating to what happened at last, Obiọma’s dream corresponds to what happens to her at

last. It links to Ekemma’s prophecy, “she who rejects suitors will definitely marry the python”.

(p 35) as well as Okwukọgụ’s prophesy, that “when one climbs a tree in a crooked manner, one

follows the same manner down.” This is poetic justice which happens to Obiọma. In the same

vein, Ọdịnchefu’s dream is a follow up to Obiọma’s dream in order to complete the poetic

justice.

4.4 Eriri Mara Ngwugwu

Ụdụakụ was the protagonist and a tragic character. She is the only daughter of

Okwuike Ogbunanjọ. She is an ambitious money-monger who loves to impose her will on

others. She is legally married to Ndụbuisi. But she leaves him for Ọchọnganooko who promises

her heaven and earth on her wedding day. He also promises to take her overseas as well as

refund the bride price to her former spouse. Her nemesis starts when she gives birth to two

female children. Because she fails to give her husband Ọchọnganooko a male child, her marriage

begins to shake seriously. For this reason, her husband informs her that he will marry a second

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wife if she fails to give him a male child. This puts her into trouble by exchanging her baby girl

with another woman’s baby boy the day she gives birth with the help of a nurse she bribes, and

this lead to her down fall. Things start falling apart when that nurse is dismissed from her work

due to rude behavior towards a commissioner’s wife. The deal with the nurse backfires and she

runs away. This eventually leads to Ọchọnganooko attempting to kill his wife. He sells her to

murderers for rituals. This is poetic justice. Paying evil with evil. She reaps what she sows and,

for being bad, she suffers for it.

On the part of Ọchọnganooko, he is the antagonist in the drama and Ụdụakụ’s detractor. A

flamboyant and boastful man, he uses his money and deceives Ụdụakụ on her wedding day, and

runs overseas. While overseas, Ọchọnganooko does not bother for having female issues, but once

at home, he was caught up with the culture of his people (Iduma) which requires a male issue as

heir apparent. This is where his way to the grave started. Ọchọnganooko makes his wife know

that he is ready to marry a second wife if she fails to give him a male child. Out of fear, she is

forced to exchange her baby girl with a baby boy the day she gives birth in order to remain in her

matrimonial home and to prevent her husband from marrying a second wife. Unknowingly to

Ọchọnganooko, he starts having a relationship with his daughter who Ụdụakụ exchanges for a

boy, thereby committing incest. This is anagnorisis as a prophet reveals the baby exchange.

Again, he has been having love affair with his own daughter. This is nemesis on a higher level.

In attempt to kill his wife he alleges that she is drowned in the river. One sin leads to

another. However, Ụdụakụ is rescued by his real father and brought back to her husband, This

discloses the plan of killing her. In order to cover his face in shame, he goes in and locks himself

up and commits suicide. This is poetic justice; it shows that evil begot evil. He is paid in his own

coins. Ọchọnganooko died because of the incest he commits with his daughter, he receives his

punishment because of his bad behaviours.

Okwuike Ogbunanjọ is the father of Ụdụakụ and Okoto. His wife, Okwundụ reports

him to the police for his evil ways. He is alleged to be a ritualist. It is claimed that human parts

are tucked away in their home. Based on this allegation, Okwuike is jailed for twenty years. This

34

is a reward for doing evil. He vows to kill his wife whenever he comes out of jail. His wife

Okwundụ, escapes from Iduma town to Iguedo with her children because of the threats to murder

her if he is discharged from prison. This information is released to Okoto and Ụdụakụ;

unfortunately, Okoto kills somebody sent by her mother’s friend to inform her of her husband’s

release. Okwuike comes and kills his wife, when she thinks that the husband has gone to meet

his ancestors. Okwuike died for revealing her husband’s character which she is not supposed to

give against her husband.

Okwuike comes out from the prison, instead of him to repent; he goes back to his former

killing again. His nemesis starts when he save his daughter Ụdụakụ from the murderers and stop

them from killing her. He brings her back to her husband. Okwuike learns of his son’s

whereabouts through Ụduakụ and comes to see him (Okoto) at Iguedo. Okoto realizes that

Okwuike Ogbunanjọ is his father and also the person who kills her mother, Okwundụ. He dashes

out and stabs him to death with a matchet. This is poetic justice, Okwuike reaps what he sows.

Justice takes its course. No sinner goes unpunished. Okwuike dies for killing his wife and other

atrocities that he commits.

On the other hand, the nurse, who plans with Ụdụakụ and changes her daughter for

another person’s son, receives her own part of the reward for doing evil. She is dismissed from

her work due to her rude behavior towards a commissioner’s wife. She is dismissed at the critical

time of her life for no sinner goes unpunished. She is punished for her evil deed. The nurse

suffers because of her bad character.

On the other hand, Nneka is punished for being a bad girl. She is advised by her girl

friend Uju to be unfaithful to her fiancé, Taagboo for befriending his father. When Taagboo’s

father comes to take her out she tells him:

Nsogbu adịghị, were oche ka m nye gi alụbọm, ka I

na-ekiri ka m wee kwadochaa. (p 60)

(No problem, have a seat and let me give you

album to watch while I get prepared.)

35

Knowing too well that Ọchọnganooko is his father in-law to be, she agrees to go out with him

and have illicit love affair with him because of his money. She is paid in her own coin at last for

being unfaithful; she is punished at last she notices that the man she had love affair with is not

his father in-law to be, rather his own father.

4.5 Ome Ihe Jide Ọfọ

Ochediya is the late Chief Ọdụenyi’s second wife. She is jealous and very wicked, more

especially on Ụbaji, because she knows that if her husband dies, Ụbaji will be the next king. And

she wants by all means to transfer the kingship rights to her son, Nkwọnta. When the king is at

the point of death, she lures the king to pronounce her son as the successor. She does this out of

jealousy. She wants to usurp the right of the first wife . Her way to the grave starts after the

husband has pronounced Ụbaji his successor. When her husband dies, she is busy crying and

asking him what he has for her and her son, Nkwọnta since he has asked Ụbaji to succeed him.

After that she starts planting evil against Ụbaji. First, she conspires against Ụbaji and wins the

conscience of her son, Nkwọnta, and she succeeds in poisoning her son’s mind against Ụbaji and

this makes Nkwọnta to hate Ụbaji his brother. As if that one is not enough, she goes to Duru

Nnanyereugo (late Igwe Ọdụenyi’s adviser) and conspires against Ụbaji, she tells all sorts of lies

and biased Duru Nnanyereugo’s mind against Ụbaji as a strategy to stop Ụbaji from being the

next king. She says:

Duru ihe m na-ahụ n’ebe ọkpara di m nọ na-atụ m

egwu. Ọ tumadighi ndụmọdụ niile m na-enye ya

banyere etu o si ekwu okwu, na-eme omume, ọ dị m

ka nti akwụghi ya n’isi. N’abali ka m nụrụ ọ na-aba

mba si na a nwaa anwaa chie ya eze, na ya

agakwaghị eji gị eme onye ndụmọdụ (p16)

(Duru, what I see in my husband’s son puts fear in

me. In spite of all my advice to him concerning the

way he talks and behaves, I feel he’s heady. I

overheard him the night saying that you will not be

his adviser if they enthrone him as king.)

36

Ochediye is doing all this in order to make her son become the next chief. Duru Nnanyereugo on

hearing this develops hatred for Ụbaji and starts to work against him being the next king. Three

of them: Ochediye, Nkwọnta, and Duru Nnanyereugo team up and attack Ụbaji diabolically.

They strike him mad at the heat of Ụbaji’s preparation to be enthroned as the next Igwe of the

community so that her son Nkwọnta, becomes the next king against her late husband’s will, who

pronounced Ụbaji the next king before his death.

Ụbaji does not notice all this intrigue Ochediye is working, even when he calls her to

accept going with him (Ụbaji) to his traditional marriage, she accepts orally but in her mind, she

vows not to attend, because of her ill feelings towards Ụbaji,

she says………

……Ee – ee ụnụ ahụla onye nzuzu. M ga-agwa unu

na onye m bụ okenye n’ala mmụọ. Kedụ ihe nwata a

chere na m bụ? M mechaa ọ bịa rie. Ịbụ eze ọ sọ nwa

m nsọ.

(… Yes, you have seen a foolish person, I will tell

you that whoever I’m her elder in real life, I will

still be her elder in the spirit world. What does this

child think I am? After I have suffered, he comes to

eat. Is it a crime for my son to be a king).

When the town crier (ọkụ ekwe) announces the day Ụbaji will be enthroned as the next Igwe, she

says within her…

Ụnụ kụchaa ekwe bianụ chịe Ụbaji eze (p 29)

She exhibits all sorts of evil acts towards Ụbaji to the extent of poisoning his food, to make Ụbaji

mad. When she heard the news of Ụbaji’s madness, she pretends and asks:

Ewoo! Anwụọla m o o! Olee ebe Ọ nọ. Nkasi? (p

30)

Ewo os! I’m dead o o ! where is he Nkasi?

37

Because of Ụbaji’s madness, Nkwọnta was prepared for the seat since Ụbaji is now mad.

On the day of enthroning Nkwọnta as the Igwe, immediately he gets up to address the people, he

becomes mad. They take Nkwọnta home where he dies and Ochediye seeing Nkwọnta dying, she

commits suicide. That is poetic justice. Ochediye dies because of her misdeeds.

On the other hand, Duru Nnanyereugo, Igwe Ọduenyi’s adviser, before the death of late

Igwe Ọduenyi, he calls Duru Nnanyereugo and his cabinet to inform them about Ụbaji being the

next Igwe when he dies and also give Ụbaji good advice and look after him. Duru Nnanyereugo

accepts the offer, but Ochediya poisons his mind and paints Ụbaji black before him. Duru

Nnanyereugo does not enquire from Ụbaji to know the truth of the matter, instead, he

says…………

Nke ahụ enweghị ike ime, kama nke ahụ ga-eme ka

otu chi bọọ abụọ. Belụsọ ma m labara n’abali ga-

eme taa ghara ịputa; m ga-egosi ya na m bụ ọtụpuru

ala hụ mmụọ. Leenụ, nwampama, m soro buo

mmanya e jiri lụta nne ya. Aga m egosi ya na

ogologo abụghị na nwa m etoole.

(That one cannot happen, instead of that to happen

let the night dawn twice. Except I die while

sleeping, I will show him that I am mysterious.

Look at the fool that I was part of the entourage to

his mother’s wine carrying ceremony. I will show

him that a child’s height does not determine his

maturity.

He starts thinking what he gains and what he loses as Igwe’s chief adviser. Seeing that it will

affect his income if he stops being the chief adviser, he teams up with Ochediye and poisons

Ụbaji. He later reaps what he sows because no sinner goes unpunished. On the day of Nkwọnta’s

formal presentation as the new Igwe, Nnanyereugo is bitten by snake and while in the house of a

native doctor he dies. That is poetic justice.Nnayereugo dies because of his sins.

Nkwọnta receives his own reward for his evil deed. He joins his mother Ochediye to hate

Ụbaji, not only hating him, but poisoning his food. For this, he becomes mad. His own evil

reward starts the day he is to be presented as the new Igwe the formal presentation as Igwe and

38

his wife as Lọọlọ to the people. As Nkwọnta stands to address the people, he gets mad and is

taken home where he dies. That is how his life ends. Nkwọnta died because of his involvement

in Ụbaji’s madness.

Also Orie is seen as a wicked and bad friend of Adakụ. She pretends to be her girlfriend.

She doesn’t feel bad about what happens to her friend, Adaku. Instead, she asks why Adakụ is so

moody and refuses to eat when Adakụ wants her to comfort her, she does not help her, and

instead she adds salt to her injury. She says………….

Ọ bu m sị ara gbawa di gị? Kedu nke m kotere? (p 38)

(Am I the cause of your husband’s madness? What did I

do?.

She does not weigh her words before talking. Even when Nkwọnta asks her of Adakụ, she says

that Adakụ is terrible. She says…………..

Nkwọnta! ihe a na-eme Ụbaji ebitula Adakụ aka

ebee ọjọọ, Ọ na-ekwuzi ekwunapụkwu ya. (p 40).

(Nkwọnta! What is happening to Ụbaji has touched

Adakụ badly; she talks too much as if she too is

mad).

She reaps her own reward of evil the day she and her husband are to be presented formally as the

Igwe and queen of Ụmụndem. Her husband gets up to address the people, and becomes mad and

dies thereafter. She loses her husband. That is poetic justice.

At last, Adakụ is rewarded for being good. She has sincere and true love for Ụbaji her

husband and she shows it in her actions by starving because of her husband’s condition. Even

when her mother pleads with her to eat she says:

Agụụ anaghi agụ m. Hapu m aka. Ihe m chọrọzịrị bụ

ọnwu. Esogbukwala m ọzọ maka nri. (p 36)

39

(I’m not hungry. Leave me alone. What I want now is

death. Don’t worry yourself about food).

She shows true love towards Ụbaji, she believes in “for better for worse” unlike some women

who suddenly turn against their husbands in times of difficulties. She says:

Nne, ihe ụnụ ga-eme ka obi dị m mma bụ iduga m

ebe Ụbaji nọ ka m gaa hụ ya anya. Ọ na- anwụ, ka

mụ na ya nwụọ. (p 37) .

(Mother, what you people should do to please me is

to take me to where Ụbaji is for me to see him. If

he’s dying, let me die with him).

She keeps on visiting her husband at his grandfather’s house. She receives her good reward for

doing good. At last, she is coronated and presented with her husband as Igwe and Lọọlọ, after he

becomes well again. She becomes the King’s wife. That is poetic justice.

On the other hand, Ụbaji is rewarded too. He suffers for what he doesn’t know because of

his stepmother’s hatred on him. To prevent him from being the igwe of Ụmụndem, and to install

her son, Nkwọnta. For being upright, God fought the battle for him through Duru Iheoma. Ụbaji

later becomes the King when he recovers. He formalizes his marriage with Adakụ. Both of them

are coronated and formally presented to the people of Ụmụndem as the new King and King’s

wife respectively. He is rewarded for being good and upright. This is poetic justice.

4.6 Okwe Agbaala

In Okwe Agbaala, Dr. Emezina is seen as a strict lecturer and Head of Department. His

lecture is based on “Tradition and Ọfọ na Ogu”. It focuses on justice, injustice, hatred, love and

greed. He is a seriously minded lecturer. Chinyere, a female student succeeds in making him

forsake his principles. His waterloo starts when he meets Ozuruigbo in Chinyere’s room. He

suspects him to be a friend of Chinyere, a student he’s already having an affair with. On this

note. Dr Emezina says:

Aga m egosi ya na m ji ji, jide nma, onye m

wanyere o rie. Aga m emechaa ya ihe Ọ hụ n’anya

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ọ kwanmụ na ya na mahadum a? Bịa nne gwa m

nọmba ya. Hapụ ụbọchi nta mụ na ya achụọ

n’owere nchi. Ọ makwa na onye ka mmadụ ka chi

ya? (p 29)

(I will show him that I have the yam and the knife,

whoever I give the yam eats, I will deal with him

and he will see. It’s me and him in this university.

Come, woman, what is his number? Forget, on the

scheduled day, we shall battle it out. Does he know

that he who is mightier than somebody is mightier

than his gods?)

The above shows the degree of hatred he has against Ozuruigbo. He goes to the extent of failing

him in the university degree examinations. He feels that he is the alpha and omega in his course,

that nobody has the right to question him.

Ozuruigbo made a case against Dr Emezina before the university senate, accusing Chinyere

Egbule of examination malpractice, and Dr Emezina of intentional failing him in the

examination. He alleges that:

Dkt. Emezina kpachara anya kwada ya n’ule (p

52).

( Dr. Emezina deliberately failed him in the

examination).

The jungle justice Dr Emezina passed on Ozuruigbo made poetic justice to take its course. (Ọfọ

na ogu jide ya). The court pronounces judgement on him and he is jailed for two years and he

loses his job. That is poetic justice.

Chinyere on the other hand, receives her reward for sowing evil seed. She is a student

that wants to pass Dr. Emezina’s course by all means. She wants to reap where she does not sow.

She makes up her mind to go and see Dr. Emezina in his office by saying…….

41

Anyị bụ ụmụ nwanyị maara ihe anyị ji arata unu(p

20)

(We women know what to use to get you men).

When Chinyere enters Dr. Emezina’s office and begins to seduce him in many ways, Dr

Emezina asks her:

Bịa nwa m, Ị makwa na m ji nwaanyị wee na-eme

ụdi ihe a Ị na-eme? Nwunye m bata ebe a hụ gi,

olee ihe Ị chere ọ ga-ekwu? Biko gawa……….(p

22)

(Come my child, don’t you know that I have a wife

and you are doing all these things? What do you

think my wife will say if she comes in and meets

you here? Please go).

She replies……….:

Ama m na ị ji nwaanyị ma onye nwere ji, na-erikwa

ji onye ọzọ, onye rikata ofe egwusi, o ritụkwa ofe

ọgbọnọ. Dọk, biko. Bikozienu, wedakwanu obi. Obi

gị ọ bụ dị nkume? (p 22)

(I know you have a wife, but he who has yam eats

another person’s yam. He that eats egusi soup will

also eat ọgbọnọ soup. Doc, please please soften

your heart. Is your heart a stone?)

All this action above shows that Chinyere is a bad girl. Right from the beginning, the song she

sings proves it..

Ama m si ukwu wụ ego mụ ewere nke m agba

bongo, Ama m si ukwu wụ ego mụ ewere nke m

agba okoso, Ama m sị ukwu wu ego

oooo…………..(p 3)

Her actions weakened Dr. Emezina and he succumbs to the seduction.

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She starts to boast of getting an ‘A’ grade in Dr. Emezina’s course. She tells Ozuruigbo that

those who go to the library to read are time wasters and asks:

…..Omenala na Ewumewu Dr. Emezina, a na-agụta

ya na laibrarị? Enweghi ihe m ga-ekwu; Ọ ka

ụbọchi ruwe eruwe. Ma m edeghi ya ‘A’ asụwaa m

ihe m (p 28).

(Dr Emezina’s Omenaala and Ewumewu, is it what

you read from the library? I have nothing to say

until that day approaches. If I do not get ‘A’ in it, I

break my thing.)

Her downfall starts when Dr.Emezina fails Ozuruigbo in his course, and Ozuruigbo petitions

against him. The senate after looking into it, sends the case to court, where Chinyere and Dr.

Emezina were judged accordingly. For Chinyere, her degree examination is cancelled, and she is

sent out of the school. She is paid in her own coin. She sows evil and as well reaps evil. That is

poetic justice.

On the contrary, Ozuruigbo is rewarded. Ozuruigbo is Chinyere’s friend. This is implied

when Ozuruigbo says……….

Ndị alaanyị si ọ bụrụ na ụra tọwa ụtọ, e kwowe ya

ekwowe. Ebe ihe mụ na gị abụọ na- adaba, ya

danye na anyị ga-alụ onwe anyi, onye ajụkwala. (p

9)

(Our people say that when sleep becomes sweet,

one begins to snore. Since we are relating well, if it

gets to the point of marrying each other, let no one

refuse.)

The above statement shows that they are in good terms. But Chinyere has a hidden agenda

towards Ozuruigbo. When he visits her and meets her solving examination questions, he asked

her what she is holding, but instead of telling him as a friend, she confuses him by saying……….

Fuchọ Prọf. Mba o o o. A na-egbunu oge. E nwere

ihe ọzọ? (p 27)

43

(Future prof. No o o o, I’m only wasting time. Is

there any other thing?)

Even when Dr Emezina meetsOzuruigbo in Chinyere’s room, she denies being friendly with

Ozuruigbo. Ozuruigbo’s hand is innocent, Dr Emezina wants to punish him because of Chinyere,

and God vindicates him

The registrar of the university in her official capacity litigates against Dr. Emezina in a court of

law where it is established that Dr. Emezina is guilty of the charges leveled against him. He is

thereby sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labour. The court on the part of

Ozuruigbo rules that his degree examination should be reviewed and his deserving result are

given to him. That is poetic justice.

We have x-rayed the different forms of poetic justice in our society using the five texts

under study and also the consequences of evil done in the society and how the good characters

were rewarded and also how bad characters were rewarded

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CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION

5.1 SUMMARY:

In summary, poetic justice is a literary outcome in which bad characters are punished

and good characters are rewarded. Playwright use different ways in protecting poetic justice.

Like in Nwata Rịe Awọ, Onyekaọnwụ’s view on poetic justice is based on incest, in Obidiya,

Enyinnaya’s view is based on greed. In Erịrị Mara Ngwugwu, Onyekaọnwụ’s opinion is on

greed while in Okwe agbaala, Nwadike’s notion is on maltreatment. In Ome Ihe Jide Ọfọ,

Nwaozuzu’s opinion is on greed. These are the different ways in which the playwrights show

poetic justice in their texts.

The five drama texts from the different authors were used to objectively x-ray what is

happening in our society today. The authors’ tones reflect the justice given to the characters in

the plays, the repercussions of evil and reward of good deeds. They are the voice, the visioners

and the critics of the society. They are concerned with how these evil doers abuse the laws of the

land thereby creating unrest and unhealthy situations in the society. In this research, it is

observed that poetic justice is manifest in drama, that drama is a very good medium to let the

society see in practical terms how retributive justice operates. Nemesis, when applied in drama

could lead to social change in the behavioural patterns of many people. The playwright makes

sure that everyone of the characters in the plays reaps whatever he sows. The authors have deep

passion for fairness and justice especially in the area of choice of life partner, husband-wife

relationship, and the sustenance of the cultural heritage of the people. They believe that any

cultural violation will attract its penalty.

As regards choice of themes, the authors choose themes that reflect the contemporary

Nigerian society as well as in opposed to the tradition of the Igbo of yesteryears. They portrayed

the chameleonic lives of our modern men and women in a world that is drifting to materialism,

with its associated moral bankruptcy. The actions of Awọrọ and Obiọma in Nwata Rie Awọ,

Ụdụakụ and Ọchọnganooko in Eriri mara Ngwugwu, Obidiya, Ome ihe jide Ọfọ, and Okwe

45

Agbaala, showed life in action in contemporary Igbo society. The choice of theme by the authors

is therefore timely and proper. The ideas are well explained in details. The authors of the five

texts set all their texts entirely on African society with particular reference to Igbo society,

hence, they used Igbo language. Okwe Agbaala by Nwadike has its reflections in the society. The

authors’ plotting of the five texts are well structured, organized, stimulating, challenging and

contain some elements of suspense, and surprises for the readers or audience.

The choice of characters, were well chosen to meet their expectations. The major

characters in the five texts of different authors are portrayed as if they are powered by one

central force, that is selfish passion. In Nwata rie Awọ, Awọrọ, in Eriri mara Ngwugwu,

Ọchọnganooko, Obidiya, - Oriakụ; Okwe Agbaala – Chinyere; Ome ihe Jide ọfọ- Ochediya, are

presented as having forces that control their lives. The female protagonists in all these plays,

represent the average Igbo girls of nowadays who are too anxious to marry or identify with

wealthy or famous persons even when they did not love them. A good example of this is Obiọma

in Nwata rie Awọ and Ụdụakụ in Eriri mara Ngwugwu,. And they suffered ugly experiences.

Authors like Onyekaọnwu do not waste time to highlight the consequences inherent in

forced marriage and evil deed. He draws the attention of the readers/audience to abstain from

such acts. Like Awọrọ in Nwata rie Awọ, Awọrọ is promiscuous, and the author used him to

warn people that are involved in such promiscuous acts.

Having looked into these five drama texts, we find out that their playwrights actually

project the poetic justices on each text. Even the female author, Nwaozuzu, also sees justice as

the way the male authors see theirs in the texts under study. They all emphasize the good

character being rewarded and the bad characters also punished, eventhough some characters

suffer for the sins of their fathers like Ọdinchefu in Nwata rie Awọ, and Oriakụ’s children in

Obidiya, Taagbo and Nneka in Eriri mara Ngwugwu,.

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5.2 CONCLUSION

The playwrights of these five texts under study have used their talents as Igbo

playwrights to create awareness among their audiences through the medium of their plays which

they use as a weapon of social adjustment. They use their plays to expose the abnormalies in

marriage contract, family relationship, cultural values and norms. They teach the entire African

society with particular reference to Igbo that every action of man has a reward. People who

commit one evil or the other because of their physical power, wealth or diabolic means will

realize that everyone lives to pay for every abomination committed knowingly or unknowingly.

On the other hand, the playwrights encourage good deeds, because any good work must be

rewarded even though it may be delayed, it must surely come to pass. They also teach our

contemporary Igbo society that money is not everything, and it is not all that matters in marriage

as it may cost one’s happiness and pleasures later in life. The evils of unfaithfulness on the part

of women and wealthy men attract one consequence or the other. Obiọma, Ụdụakụ,

Ọchọnganooko, Awọrọ, Ochediya, Okwuike, Duru Nnanyelugo, Nkwọnta are victims of the

nemesis resulting from their evil conducts.

Justice is also seen in Igbo tradition as ikpe nkwụmọtọ or ikpe ziri ezi and aka nkwụmọtọ.

Aka nkwụmọtọ refers to uprightness of conduct. Ikpe nkwụmọtọ means that judgement is

straight. These are shown in Obidiya, the court judgement on Ọnuma and Oriakụ. And also court

judgement on Ozuruigbo, Ngozi and Dr. Emezina in Okwe Agbaala. It shows that no matter the

level of evil done in our society, uprightness and truth are still operating in our society. The

playwrights show poetic justice in different ways. In Nwata Rịe Awọ Onyekaọnwụ expresses his

view using incestuous acts to portray what is happening in the society. Nwadike on the other

hand uses allurement in showing what is happening in the society. Nwaozuzu’, Ome Ihe Jide

Ọfọ, Enyinna’s Obidiya and Onyekaọnwụ’s Erịrị Mara Ngwugwu portray greed as the disease

that have eaten deep into the fabrics of our society.

We have seen the ways in which the playwrights express poetic justice. Also we have

seen the similarities and differences demonstrated by the playwrights. They have the same tone

and different techniques.

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From this research, anyone who reads these works and applies the lessons therein will be

able to protect his future and as well maintain peace and stability in our society.

48

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