Satire In Soyinka's 'The Lion And The Jewel'
In Soyinka’s own remarks ‘Satire in the theatre is a weapon not yet fully exploited among the contemporary dramatists of Nigeria, fertile though the social and political scene is for well aimed barbs by the sharp, observant eye’.1 Here Soyinka makes satire a premise to expose the disparities between appearances and underlying realities as well as entertainment. Though Soyinka used satire in many of his plays like Kongi’s harvest, Madmen and the specialists, A dance of the forests, these plays emulate the political scene of the contemporary Nigeria. The Lion and the Jewel is a satirical comedy with music, dance and songs. It treats serious issues in a generally light –hearted manner, content to over-simplify and to leave some issues unresolved in order to provide a pleasurable and offensive experience. Soyinka operates primarily in a satiric mode and he sometimes incorporates traditional myths and rituals to heighten the satire. His humour is sometimes lighthearted but often poignant and bitter. He has satirized in his plays the attitude of new rulers who have become dictators, intellectuals who cow-tow to their rulers and megalomaniacs in African states in general.
Key words:
Satire, myth, Yoruba, bride-price, marriage, conflict, dances, songs.
The play is set in Ilujinle, an imaginary Yoruba village, and it presents the conflict between the Bale, Baroka, and the village school teacher, Lakunle, over the village beauty, Sidi. The play The lion and the jewel represents a
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