Playing Romanticism and Patriotism through History and Myth in Femi Osofisan’S Tegonni: An African Antigone

Abstract

The most engaging issue in Africa’s postcolonial discourse is the search for a well defined identity that is reflective of continent’s sociocultural heritage and experiences in the hands of her imperialists, through fascinating parables that best illustrate the power struggle, self-governance and democracy, the rule of law, and social justice, a war-free environment, unity in diversity, freedom of expression and association, with a conscious and passionate cry for patriotism, on the part of the leadership and the followership. The basic idea behind this is to create an enabling environment for the fusion of the pre-colonial and colonial experiences in order to mollify the harsh and unbearable neocolonial atmosphere occasioned by ethnic rivalry, selfishness, religious intolerance, youth restiveness, favouritism, poverty, feelings of insecurity, leadership misrule and dictatorial tendencies, large scale corruption, debts, hunger and diseases. The need to redress the status quo within the traditional status quo ante, through a reflective memory, triggers passion for the dynamism and diversity explorable in the literary and performance output of the postcolonial discourse, especially in Nigeria where the seed-bed of both literary and performance engagement is in the struggle for the survival of the nation, and a deliberate enthronement of civil order through democracy and self-governance that is rooted in the alliance between the traditional and the colonial signposts which are capable of creating a home-grown identity for Africa in all the areas of human endeavour.

In this study, however, Osofisan’s Tegonni: An Africa Antigone is analysed within the ambit of his romantic and patriotic zeal, and his use history and myth towad finding needed solutions to the sociopolitical problems in Africa. 

Keywords: Drama, History, Myth, Culture, Self-Determination.