The document analyzes Wole Soyinka's play "A Dance of the Forest" and argues that it is a complex fusion of Yoruba festival traditions and European modernism. It examines how the play uses a fragmented structure, temporal hybridity, abundance of protagonists, symbolism, and natural imagery - all techniques common in modernist works. Examples are given from the play and works like Mrs. Dalloway and Sons and Lovers to show how Soyinka blended Yoruba mythology, oral traditions, and European modernist literary techniques in his play. The document concludes that based on this analysis, the play can rightly be said to fuse Yoruba and European stylistic elements.

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AFRICAN LITERATURE
RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT
How far do you agree with the statement that “Stylistically A Dance of the Forests
is a complex fusion of Yoruba festival traditions with European modernism”
(William Mcpherson).
“Recently theatres of different cultures have shared an increasing
trend of transplanting elements of foreign theatre traditions into its own
productions and as a result of the dynamic combinations between European,
African and other theatre traditions, completely new dramatic and theatrical
forms have been created that depict both European and indigenous properties
in form and content”.
(“Familiar and Foreign Theatre”, 133)
Wole Soyinka is one of the famous playwright, novelist and poet of Nigeria. The
specialty of Soyinka’s writing style is that he blends the elements of African oral
tradition, Yoruba mythology and European modernism to create both spectacle as
well as penetrating satire. Some characteristics of the modern texts are that they
(modern texts) focus more on form rather than meaning, structure of the modern
texts is fragmented and it breaks down the limitations of time and space, there are
multiple protagonists in a modern play and it is replete with symbolism and imagery.
The first aspect of European modernism that is conspicuous in the play is the
complex fragmented structure. As critic Femi Osofian says, “Soyinka’s aesthetics
is not just one uniform, monolithic thing, but quite a diversity of styles. In fact,
the fragmented way the events are narrated is the result of the influence of
modernism” (1).
Like the modern text Mrs. Dalloway by Woolf, the structure of A Dance of the Forest
is fragmented. There is an element of temporal hybridity. The play does not follow
a strict linear structure. There is a plot with in a plot and the events of past and

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present are intermingled to pave way for the events of the future. The first story of
the play unveils the scene where the human community has arranged a ceremony in
order to pay homage to the dead people from the underworld. The second story of
the play takes the reader to the court of Mata Kharibu where a warrior has refused
to fight an unjust war. The war has started on a minute trifle; Mata Kharibu has taken
the woman of another man and now orders that man to return her wardrobe. When
the man refuses, Mata Kharibu declares war and later in the story, it is revealed that
the warrior (who plays the role of dead man in the story prior to this) along with his
wife has been punished for rebelling against the king.
In the play, the past events rule the present and the laws of time are suspended. As
Critic Craig White says, “In modern texts the gothic (history) re-appears in
broken or fleeting form” (11). In the beginning, the readers are introduced to the
historical cycle, which originates from the court of Mata Kharibu. The initiating
dialogues of dead man and dead woman who have come to attend the gathering of
the tribes are reminiscent of the incident that happened in the (history) court of Mata
Kharibu where the dead man and dead woman were punished for not obeying the
inhumane orders of the king. As they say, “Will you take my case” (1). Through
their dialogues, readers get to know that the dead couple is demanding justice as they
suffered an unjust treatment in their previous lives. The fragmented structure of the
play, A Dance of the Forest symbolizes the immorality of the characters and
meaninglessness of the world of the play. The characters are flat who are stuck in a
cage of physical and psychological paralysis. They (dead man, dead woman) are
stuck in a half world from where they cannot move further and progress and their
world becomes absurd which has lost its meaning. Critic Steward Crehan asserts,
“The play is the journey into and through the man’s land of transition involving
the annihilation or distortion of self (4).” There is chaos and violence going on in

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which humanity suffers. War is being fought on little matters and the powerful
dictator, Mata Kharibu (who stands as a symbol for the blood lust that is present in
every modern man), seems to feel pride in conducting war. As the dialogues of Mata
Kharibu and Soothsayer reveals the lust of Mata Kharibu for bloodshed.
Soothsayer: I see much blood Mata Kharibu. On both sides of the plough.
Mata Kharibu: I will be satisfied with that. Does it not mean a great battle?
(A Dance of the Forests)
In order to accent the fragmented structure of the play Soyinka, uses African oral
tradition and Yoruba mythology in the play. The play makes use of all the devices
that belong to Yoruba ritual performances for example music, dance, riddles,
masquerade and poetry, which adds in the complexity of the play. The play is an
excellent blend of poetry and prose. There is a special influence of African oral
tradition in the narration of the play as it carries a tonal quality in it. As critic, Eldred
Jones says, “All Yoruba culture is enshrined in the language, a highly tonal and
musical language which gives the impression of being chanted rather than
spoken” (1983:8).
Another tenant of modern literary theory is that the texts do not carry single or
limited amount of narrators. There is an overflow of protagonists, which narrate the
story. Similarly, in the play A Dance of the Forest, there is an abundance of
protagonists. Gods, mortals and the dead play their parts to further the story. As critic
Derek Wright says “A Dance of the Forest is the most difficult work of literature,
there is no discernible main character or plot line, and critics have been at a
loss to say what kind of play it is or if it is a play at all and not a pageant,
carnival or festival” (81).

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There is an abundance of symbolism in the play. The specialty of the play lies in the
facts that like the most prominent modern text Sons and Lovers by Lawrence, the
main characters also serve as symbols. In Sons and Lovers, the main character of
Paul symbolizes the modern man who suffers from physical and psychological
paralysis and cannot progress in his life. As the reader can sense while reading the
novel that during his whole life, Paul suffers from psychological trauma and
confusion, which leads to his physical paralysis. He is stuck in a liminal space from
where he cannot move further and in the end, his life loses its meaning and he drowns
into an unfathomable sea of depression and anxiety. As Lawrence says, “Paul
pretended to be perfectly cheerful, and did not tell his friend what ailed him.”
(Sons and Lovers). Similarly, in the play A Dance of the Forest every character
stands as a symbol for the flaws of human nature. Adenebi, Rola and Demoke stand
as symbols for immorality as they committed horrible crimes and seem to be
insensitive towards human suffering. Adenebi, in his past life bribed a clerk to
declare his bus fit to take in seventy people but in reality the bus could only carry
forty people, so when a fire broke out inside the Incinerator the maximum passengers
died, as they could not find a way out because the bus was overcrowded. Demoke
killed the follower of Eshouro while carving the totem and Rola is a prostitute
rumored to have let two lovers to kill themselves for her. In their present life, they
all are running from guilt as their past rule their lives and returns back repeatedly.
They are guilty and try to avoid their past as Adenebi and Rola get confused when
they are inquired about their previous lives. As Rola says, “Let everyone lead their
own life” (A Dance of the Forest). Adenebi becomes confuse and tries to change the
topic when he is inquired about the accident of his lorry.
Obaneji: Who did it? Who burnt out sixty-five souls?
Adanebi: I…. do not wish…to know you. I want to be left alone.

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(A Dance of the Forests).
One of the main characteristics of the modern texts is that they carry natural imagery
that assist to unfold the psychological set up of the characters. It also helps to unveil
the main theme around which the story revolves. Like the modern text Sons and
Lovers by Lawrence, the play A Dance of the Forest outbursts with natural imagery.
In Sons and Lovers, Lawrence draws the imagery of moon, flowers, trees and lush
green fields to highlight the state of mind of the characters and to mirror the love
and passion in his two main characters Miriam and Paul. In the play A Dance of the
Forest Soyinka uses the imagery of totem and forest to highlight the idea of
unification between the two worlds (the world of dead and the world of the living),
as the festival has been arranged in the forest for the dead ancestors, and a totem is
designed to pay homage to them. As in the beginning, Soyinka says, “For this feast
of the human community the council also resolved that a symbol of the great
re-union be carved” (5).
A Dance of the Forests is replete with the tenants of European modernism as it
carries all the aspects of African oral tradition, Yoruba mythology and it bags
symbolism and imagery similar to the famous modern texts. On the base of my above
discussion, it is proved that stylistically the play is a complex fusion of Yoruba
festival traditions with European modernism.
Bibliography/References:
 Soyinka, Wole. A Dance of the Forest. Britain: Oxford University press, 1963.
Print.
 Anyokwu, Cristopher. “Ode to Chaos and Amnesia: Fractured Narrative
Structure in Soyinka’s A Dance of the Forest.” Nigeria: University of Lagos,
2012. Print.

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 Azumurana, Solomon. “Existensial Complexities in A Dance of the Forest By
Soyinka.” Nigeria: University of Lagos.
 Crow, Brian. “Tradition as Theme and Form in Three Nigerian Dramatists.”
Print.
(The End)