PLAY REVIEW OF BOSEDE ADEMILUA-AFOLAYAN’S ONCE UPON AN ELEPHANT
Review written by Oguntoyinbo Deji
Email: oguntoyinbodeji@gmail.com
TITLE OF PLAY: ONCE UPON AN ELEPHANT
PLAYWRIGHT: BOSEDE ADEMILUA – AFOLAYAN
PUBLISHER: KRAFT BOOKS LIMITED.
PLACE OF PUBLICATION: IBADAN
YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2015
About the Author
B(caps)esides being a poet, dramatic scholar and playwright, Bosede Afolayan is also a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English, University of Lagos, Nigeria. She holds a doctorate degree in Comparative Drama from the same university. Her debut play, Look Back in Gratitude, was published in 2013 while Once Upon an Elephant is her second play.
Detailed Summary
The play opens with the performance of a rite on the supposedly king’s son – Ajanaku – by Serubawon while Odejimi and Ogundele watch. However, Ogundele subtly challenges the performance of such rite since the present king (Akujobi) is not yet dead – though terribly sick – and that Ajanaku is not the king’s first son. After Serubawon’s exit from the scene, both Ogundele and Odejumo plan to reject the choice of Ajanaku at the elders’ meeting. They also left the gift given to them through Serubawon. In the next scene, Odesola and Serubawon, who are both children of Odejimi and Serubawon respectively, express their love to each another. In the course of this, Desola informs Odekunle of her terrible dream - which is about the disruption of their impending marriage ceremony. The reader/audience learns of the king’s death from the discussion of these two lovers.
Amidst wild jubilation at the village square, Ajanaku is enthroned as the new king. He boasts of his brawn and forte which he compares with that of ‘ajanaku’ – the Yoruba praise name for elephant. Despite Odejimi’s anger at Ajanaku’s faux pas - laden speech at the ceremony, Ogundele implores him to work with the new king for a successful reign. At Odejimi’s house, Iyale – Odejimi’s wife – tries to convince him to attend the coronation at the palace alongside other elders. He turns down her advice. After taking the royal headgear, Iyale leaves for the coronation
Subsequently, two women bring a land dispute to the king’s palace for adjudication. After listening to both parties, Ajanaku informs the women that the community will temporarily take over the land from both women. They are to expect their judgment soon. To the consternation of all the chiefs and the king, the former king’s eldest wife – Iya Agba – enters the palace. She speaks proverbially on the impending/imminent downfall of the king. Referring to her as being insane, Ajanaku sends her out of the palace. Iya Agba later comes back to the palace to castigate Ajanaku for usurping the throne. She informs him that the palace rightfully belongs to her late husband and Ajanaku’s father. Boasting of her larger-than-life status, Ajanaku excoriate Iya Agba over the case of adultery which led to her being excommunicated by the former king. Serubawon enters as Iya Agba refers to him as being the father of the present King. Ajanaku laughs and informs that such an asinine comment further underscore Iya Agba’s insanity. After her exit, the king asks Serubawon what she meant by calling him a bastard. After evading the question, Serubawon enjoins the king not to bother about the opinion of a supposedly mad woman.
At the meeting between the chiefs and the king, a man from a neighboring village is brought into the palace. He asks the king to help his village from the hands of invaders who have maimed and killed his fellow villagers. After his request, Ajanaku refuses because of his village inability to increase their tribute to him. Angered by this response, the man also replies contemptuously which made Ajanaku draws closer to him. Seeing the king approaching, the man brings out a knife and stabs himself to the surprise of the whole chiefs. The king quickly goes inside and there was confusion about the attitude of the man towards the king. Odejimi shows his displeasure at the king’s answer to the man.
The next scene depicts Desola and Odekunle in a romantic mood at the kolanut farm. Without their knowledge, Ajanaku’s guards creep in and seize Desola while Odekunle is beaten mercilessly. They take Desola to the king, who is standing nearby, and he rapes her. At Lere’s house, Odekunle sits dejectedly and is being placated by his friends – Yele, Lere and Dele. After much consolation, Odekunle relays what happened to Desola at the kolanut farm. Ridiculed by her friends for not fighting Ajanaku during the rape saga, Odekunle leaves their company.
There are flurry of activities at Serubawon’s house for the marriage of Odekunle and Desola. However, Desola weeps uncontrollably inside the house and the parents are concerned about the cause of her sorrow. She informs them about what happened to her at the kolanut farm. This is to save her family from the shame that will arise after the marriage ceremony since she is no longer a virgin.
At the palace, Ajanaku is relaxing with her pregnant wife – Omoyeni – when Serubawon storms in and inquires about the reason for Ajanaku’s attitude to her daughter. Ajanaku confesses that he has only continued the rite dictated by Serubawon by sleeping with the sixth virgin. Ironically, the sixth victim is now Serubawon’s daughter, Desola. The king asks his guard to take him away.
The succeeding scene shows Omoyeni’s visit to Iya Agba. After Iya Agba’s criticism, Omoyeni asks about the father of the king since she called him a bastard at the palace. Iya Agba proverbially evades her question and Omoyeni informs that her own pregnancy is not for the king but for Delani. It should be noted that Delani should have been the rightful husband of Omoyeni but Ajanaku – using brute force – takes her from Delani. Omoyeni informs Iya Agba that she meets secretly with Delani.
Iyale brings Demoke, Yosola, Dele, Lere and Odekunle to Iya Agba’s house. Also, Odekunle carries Desola with him. After begging Iya Agba to give them audience, they inform Iya Agba about Desola’s illness and calls for help. Iyale tells Iya Agba about how Ajanaku raped Desola. Serubawon enters and Iya Agba divulges all his secrets. She informs all that both Serubawon and his wife connived to make the former king send her out of the palace. This, they did by accusing her of adultery. She also opens up on the amorous relationship that existed between the former king’s younger wife (Adebisi) and Serubawon. Iya Agba asks Serubawon about the father of Ajanaku and he replies that he is the one. Serubawon further explains that the cause of Desola’s sickness is ‘ijedodo’ – a medicine that feeds on the blood of a virgin to keep whoever has done it alive while the virgin dies a slow and painful death. And that it has no cure. This is the medicine that he made for Ajanaku which he used on her daughter, Desola. In the ensuing melee, Omoyeni and Delani enter. Iya Aaba asks Omoyeni about who owns her pregnancy. To everyone’s surprise, she says that it belongs to Delani. Serubawon informs about the next line of action which is to make Ajanaku an immortal being at the next Jobele festival. This festival takes place in three days time. In this melancholic mood, Demoke, Yosola and Odekunle cry silently.
In the final scene of the play, the whole village is in a convivial mood as a result of the Jobele festival. During his speech, Ajanaku asks for Serubawon and instructs his guards to bring him to his presence. At this period, there is an unexpected sound of a dirge at the palace. Desola walks in naked except for a short pant, and a girdle to support her bosom. Also, Odekunle and his armed friends enter. Odekunle holds a big calabash, which he later places down at his feet. Iya Agba comes in with Iyale, Demoke and Yosola,. All of them dressed in white, with girdles round their waists. In an unexpected twist of action, Desola lurches forward and embraces Ajanaku. They both stagger and Odekunle quickly opens the calabash, and brings out a red cloth sewn with gourds and charm. He quickly places this on Ajanaku’s neck which leads to his gradual fall. Iya Agaba informs others that Desola has snatched her life back from the brutal king. Immediately, a guard comes in to announce that Serubawon has just committed suicide. Iya Agba discharges all to go home as a new king will soon be chosen. Omoyeni and Delani run in and ask Iya Agba about the success of the plan. She replies in the affirmative and that Delani can now go ahead to take Omoyeni as his wife. At that period, heavily pregnant Omoyeni complains of contractions – an indication that she is about to give birth. All the women gather round her as they take delivery of the new child.
The Thematic Preoccupations
Deposit Leadership
The main thematic thrust of the play is that of despotic, tyrannical and absolute leaders. Tragically, there are avalanche of these despots that had - and still - litter the African space. When their legal and constitutional terms end, they use all means – mostly illegal – to elongate their stay in power. The trappings and appurtenances of power have an inextricable hold on these rulers. What is further disheartening is that these rulers have not made any significant improvement in the lives of the led. Hence, one begins to wonder the justification for their ‘sit-tightism’. These are represented by King Ajanaku in the play. In this context, Ajanaku – which is the praise name for elephant, represents dictators and despots especially in their larger-than-life status and in self conceit. Etymologically, Ajanaku also means the ‘killer of Ajana’. Historically, Ajana was a hunter who, according to legend, tries to capture alive an example of every kind of animal, but was trampled to death by the elephant. Hence, the origin of the name, Ajanaku, which literarily means ‘Ajana dies’. Describing the elephant in his poem, ‘Salute To The Elephant’, Adeboye Babalola says:
Oh elephant, huge as a hill, even in a
crouching posture
O elephant, enfolded by honour, demon
flapping fans of war
Demon who snaps trees branches into
many pieces and move on to the forest
Mountainous animal, huge beast who tears
a man like a garment and hangs him
on a tree
The sight of whom causes people to
stampede toward a hill of safety
Ajanaku, who treads heavily.
In a related vein, the popular Nigerian poet of the first generation period, Christopher Okigbo, says of the elephant in his magnum opus, ‘Hurrah for Thunder’:
The elephant, tetrarch of the jungle
With a wave of hand
He could pull four trees to the ground
His four mortal legs pounded the earth
Wherever they treaded
The grass was forbidden to be there.
There is also a popular Yoruba folklore in which the trickster (tortoise) persuaded the elephant to become the king after the death of the occupant of the throne. Unknowing to the elephant, it is a ploy to get rid of him since he has turned himself to a terror in the animal kingdom. Already, tortoise has dug a pit- though covered with a raffia mat - very close to the throne and when the elephant comes – without pomp and pageantry to the new office, he fell down. As planned, other animals came out with dangerous weapon with him they killed the elephant.
Just like Ajanaku in the play, the elephant who believes that he can never falls, falls unexpectedly and with ignominy. Names like Muammar Gadaffi(Libya), Robert Mugabe(Zimbabawe), Sanni Abacha (Nigeria), Ben Ali (Tunisia), Hosni Mubarak (Egypt), Sekou Toure (Guinea), Said Barre (Somalia), General Idi Amin (Uganda), Nguemma Mbasago (Equatorial Guinea), Paul Biya (Cameroun), Yoweri Museveni(Uganda) amongst several others epitomize this despotic African leaders. Corroborating this point in the author’s note, the playwright opines that the play ‘takes a look at the issue of dictatorship, “sit-tightism” , or what some critics have referred to as self – perpetuating syndrome of African leaders at every level of governance’ (7). There have been many Nigerian playwrights who have centred their dramatic narrative on the issue of despots. They include Wole Soyinka’s Kongi Harvest, Play of Giants, Opera Wonyosi and King Baabu. Others are Fred Agbeyegbe’s The King Must Dance Naked, Femi Osofisan’s Yungba Yungba and the Dance Contest, Ahmed Yerima’s Mojagbe and Hope Eghagaha’s Onawawi Shall Rise Again. In the play under review, King Ajanaku tried all dishonest means to be enthroned in power despite the fact that he is not the rightful person to the throne. According to the African tradition of primogeniture, the first child – Baderin – is supposed to be the successor of the dead king, but Ajanaku uses all his Machiavellian means to arm-twist the elders to chose him instead. He sits ‘tightfully’ on the throne despite the fact the village is fraught with so many challenges including young ones who look up to him for hhelp. Showing his larger-than –life frame to the villagers, he says of himself : “ but, what exactly does an elephant do to creepers, and thorns, and bushes, and thickets, and a whole forest of trees standing on its way? He tramples them!’ (25). Ajanaku goes to the extent of raping six different virgins to perpetuate himself on the throne. Referred to as ‘Ijedodo’, the charm ‘feeds on the blood of the virgin to keep whosoever has done it alive while that virgin dies a slow and painful death’ (74). He wants to make himself immortal by engaging in this shameful act. Just like dictators everywhere, shame and death became his lot at the end of the day.
Distrust And Treachery
Another thematic preoccupation of the play is that of distrust and treachery. This is personified by the character of Serubawon who is supposed to be an patriotic elder of the Village. He becomes the tool used by King Ajanaku both for his enthronement and perpetuation in power. He betrays and schemes the other chiefs out while embarking on these nefarious/heinous activities. Both ‘Olubori’ rite and ‘ijedodo’ are basically his own creation without seeking advice from the other elders – Odejimi, Ogundele and Odegbami. Ironically, the charm that he makes for Ajanaku was later used on her only daughter. After knowing this, he keeps quiet and behaves as if he does not the cause of Desola’s sickness at home though he goes to castigates Ajanaku for using the charm on her daughter. Serubawon also fathers a child outside of wedlock – who is coincidentally now the King (Ajanaku) – without the knowledge of his wife. He does not only betray other elders and his wife (Demoke) but also the whole community at large. Without him, Ajanaku will not have constituted himself as a terror. This shows that despots definitely have people that support them to the detriment of the community. Iya Agba excoriates him for his plan to immortalize the king: ‘You want to make him immortal. What kind of man are you? Where on earth have you ever heard that any mortal being rivals the divine?”(77). It is also treacherous that Serubawon did not inform the other elders about the ‘Olubori’ rite – a rite to prepare a mortal to approach his ancestors. Upon enquiry, Serubawon tells them: ‘That involves only me. You may not bother as such” (13). True to his mischievous nature, Serubawon – a supposedly medicine man to the king - works against the dying king when he performs the aforementioned rite on his son. This is a rite that should only be performed upon the demise of the king and its performance must have speed-up the death of the king. Ogundele and Odejimi castigate this attitude of Serubawon. Odejimi retorts: ‘Our king lives. That is like demanding that he dies, so that the rascal must be king; not even his brothers will know or can even do anything about it by that time”(18).
Power And Influence Of Women
Also, the power and influence of women is portrayed in the play. In Wole Soyinka’s Kongi’s Harvest, a female character – Segi – is portrayed as being active and a saviour. She acts as a catalyst in a revolutionary socio-political change. She helps in the dethronement of a dictator-king by mobilizing some ‘rehabilitated’ sex workers and others who are fed –up with Kongi’s dictatorial regime. Just like Segi in Soyinka’s Kongi’s Harvest, Iya Agba helps in the downfall of Ajanaku. She leads others to snatch the life of Desola back by engaging in a mock battle with the King. This later leads to Ajanaku’s death. She tries all her best to speak truth to power despite the fact that virtually the whole community condemns her as being asinine and mad. She becomes the lone voice that pricks the throat of the elephant. Her constant visits to the palace make Ajanaku to become uncomfortable as she castigates Ajanaku’s illegal throne. Iya Agba can be referred to as duex-ex-machine who helps to resolve the knotty issue of dictatorship in the play. She also helps to unravel the real father of King Ajanaku and the real owner of Omoyeni’s pregnancy. Her motherly nature is depicted as she helps in the delivery of Omoyeni’s child. This overtly and covertly portrays the power of women in pulling down despotic rulers. There are myriads of stories of how women have been used to trap tyrants. Conversely, women are also known to be the cause of the downfall of empires. Another woman caused the whole misfortune portrayed in the play. The character of the former king’s wife, Adebisi, perfectly exemplifies this. Iya Agba informs about the clandestine sexual relationship between Serubawon and Adebisi. This illegal relationship later leads to the birth of Ajanaku, who turned into a despot in the play. Demoke, Serubawon’s wife who knows of this secret affair keeps mum and later accuses Iya Agba of adultery – an unsubstantiated rumour that led to the dismissal of Iya Agba from the palace.
Insatiable Love For Money
Furthermore, there is a theme of man’s insatiable love for money. Ajanaku tries all to get power including bribing Serubawon so as to be supported by the other elders. His love for power also makes him to engage in the ninety-day ritual that involves sleeping with six different virgins. The love for power later translates to his excessive love for women and money. When the people of Oguno ask for his support to defeat invaders, Ajanaku’s grouse is simply that they have not increased their annual tribute to his kingdom. It shows an inconsiderate king who believes more on financial reward to the detriment of the lives of his subjects. As for women, Ajanaku goes ahead to forcefully take Omoyeni – Delani’s betrothed lover. Due to his position, Omoyeni agrees: ”I had to give in to his love advances to protect my parents, and the man I love”(76).
Unity
Once Upon An Elephant subtly canvasses for unity amidst people so as to dethrone a fascist or a tyrant. Since the power wield by these tyrants is domiciled within the people; thus, they can ‘dis–empower’ such a despot collectively. In the play, the collective resolve of Demoke, Iya Agba, Iyale Lere, Dele, Odekunle, Yosola and Desola brings the autocratic reign of Ajanaku down. Any division within these people will have emboldened and further empower the tyrant. It lends credence to the fact that there is power in unity and success in any task is cheaply possible especially when the people come together.
In all, the play is well written with a compelling plot, embellished language, twist and turns, suspense and irony leading to its climax. The use of proverbs, anecdotes, song, dance, aphorisms and folktales attenuate the message and setting (spatial and temporal) of the play. The conflict inherent in the play is well-resolved especially with the poetic justice at the end of the play and the metaphor of the ‘elephant’ is well used by the playwright to bring out the thematic thrust. Aesthetically, the cover of the play is enchanting as one sees a big leg – definitely that of a tyrant – about to crush little beings (citizens). This is not only symbolic but instructive on the character of a despot/tyrant. There is hardly any case of typographical error – a product of painstaking proofreading /editing. However, the playwright needs to take note of the progression of the plot. This is because the reader/ audience is amazed at the fourth section of the play where Odejimi’s
This article is the intellectual property of Mr Oguntoyinbo Deji, published with due permission.
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