Author
Adebisi, P. R. A.
Abstract
The aim of this article is to look at the manner two Francophone African playwrights, Tchicaya U tam’si from the Republic of Congo and Jean Pliya from the Republic of Benin use their plays to promote good conduct for the development of society. The two works, Le Zulu by U tam’si and Kondo le requin by Pliya, are legendary plays. The legendary heroes whose lives inspired the theatres are the South African Zulu King Chaka and the Dahomean King Gbehanzin. Names of legendary heroes continue to be alive among their people because of their feats and their services to their people. In the two plays Chaka and Gbehanzin manifest these qualities. But is their commitment gratuitous? To interrogate this problem, we have recourse to Functional myth theory, one of the major theories for the study of myths and legends. We consider Functional myth theory apt because of its emphasis on patriotism and development. We use the technique of literary appreciation to study the two dramatic works in focus. We discover that contrary to the struggles of genuinely selfless heroes, the exertions of Chaka and Gbehanzin are marred by egocentric ambitions as manifested in their intransigence and use of Machiavellian policies. In the end, both kings end ingloriously as a result of their selfish ambitions. The article thus emphasises a lasting lesson in leadership and societal development. It is an indirect warning to African politicians who oppress and exploit their compatriots once they come to power.
Keywords
Legend, myth, patriotism, national interest, war
Introduction
The subject of literature is man in society. Creative literature, addresses the problem of
man pursuing his individual objectives and the way he contributes to the growth of
society. We are here, far from the purview of literature as pure art, which rejects the idea of any social commitment but which exists for its own sake. We are here in the realm of what is referred to in French as ‘littérature engagée’, a notion by which a work of art must be at the service of society.
Content
According to Buchanan, the renowned French philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre thrashed out the dichotomy between the two opposing perspectives of imaginative literature when he “rejected aesthetics of ‘pure writing for its own sake’ and argued that the writer had a responsibility to explore and integrate universal values of freedom” (433).
Significantly, Sartre, and his influencers,
chief among who are Marx, Kant and Hegel, directly or indirectly, endorse these basic characteristics of creative fiction, precisely that of the utilitarian value of art being on the side of truth and supporting the oppressed against the oppressors in the collective search for a just society.
Conclusion
Functional myth theory is aimed at inculcating morals and noble social behaviours. Only a society built on solid moral foundation and social conduct can be stable and make meaningful progress. This informed our decision to interrogate the lives of the legendary heroes in the plays of U tam’si and Pliya. Legendary personages are considered worthy of the name because of the contributions they make to their society. In the interface between the Functional myth theory and the protagonists, we find in them courage, skillfulness and an acute sense of patriotism. These qualities have inscribed their names, and those of their subjects who shared these merits with them, like the women soldiers “the Amazones” in Pliya’s theatre, in history up to this day. On the other hand, their compatriots like the individuals known for their dishonourable role of connivance with the European colonialists, are seen in unfavourable light.
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