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A very powerful weapon for that matter!

It brings the kings from their high throne, Down on their kneels before their slaves, Creeping and Peeping.

It makes even the Chief High Priest of the oracle Shiver like a leaf before his helpless client,

Fluttering and Flapping

It disarms even the most powerful man on earth, Jinglelet Yekpete.

Yes, women have a wonderful weapons.

SECOND MARKET WOMAN: What weapon is that? Name it.

EBUN: Our bottom. Yes, our bottom is our power. As from this day lock it up until they crawl to us for reconciliation. Is that clear!

MARKET WOMEN: Yes, it’s very clear.

EBUN: Good. If death does not kill the sacrificial hen, some day it will bear some chicks. (46-7)

There is language here for deconstruction through semiotics and aesthetics for meaning generation for adequate understanding of the play text. Sebeok also disagrees with the language-as-primary theory and points out that language evolved first as an adaptive function principally to enhance imitative signaling - the evolutionary focus was more on language-as-modeling-system than on speech-as-communication. On this, Sebeok argues that: “properly speaking, language itself is a secondary modeling system” (57). He is comparing language based sign systems with other visual and nonverbal systems which are equally as complex, as well as antecedent to language. He concludes that “the general belief that language replaced the cruder systems is totally wrong”

(Sebeok 57). This complexity is found in Osofisan’s Twingle…, Ukala’s Akpakaland, Okoh’s Edewede, Ododo’s Hard Choice, Idegu’s Tough Man and Iwuh’s The Village Lamb.

4.5 Textuality, Character and Language as Semio-Aesthetic Elements in the Selected

it may encompass those things that the dramatist hide from the reader that he wants the reader to locate with perilous assessment of the play. Roland Greene contends that a text must necessarily be thought of as incomplete, indeed as missing something crucial that provides the mechanics of understanding. He posits that: “The text is always partially hidden, one word for the hidden part in literary theory is the subtext” (Greene 51). Textual therefore covers all other aspect of the play that the playwright left hidden for its readers and critics to identify them for the message he the playwright wants to pass across to be seemingly clear. For instance, in Twingle Twangle…, Osofisan made used of the African way of seeing beyond here through Babalawo to monitor Taye and Kehinde:

MAMA IBEJI: [Crying the more] I’ll die! Just let me die! Why should I still be living when my precious boys are dead?

BABALAWO: Dead! But who say they’re dead?

[He hastily collects his things together to begin the divination.] Dead! [To BABA IBEJI.] Did you tell her that?

MAMA IBEJI: [Wailing.] They’re dead! you just don’t wish to tell me, that’s all!

Ah, all my life wasted!

BABALAWO: But calm yourself, Mama Ibeji! Calm down and I’ll ask Ifa!i [He begins the divination, chanting]…

MAMA IBEJI: [Calming down]. Thank you jare, Baba Adahunse…

BABALAWO: Well, just sit down and be patient. And you others, if you wish to know what has happened to our dear twins, sit down too. It won’t take that long, for five years is a short space on the diving tray! (6-8)

This is purely Africa’s and it is embedded in the body of the text as part of its textuality which needs semio-aesthetic analyses and thus serves as African semio-aesthetic elements. Babalawo conjouring and Baba Ibeji and Mama Ibeji seeing Taye and Kehinde in a far a way land is entirely African and thus requires Afro-semio-aesthetic analysis for the understanding. When the where

about of Taye and Kehinde was revealed through Langer’s: “Discursive symbolism and Non-discursive symbolism is nonverbal” (70). This is another important aspect of textuality that is significant to African semio-aesthetic elements:

MAMA IBEJI: [Crying the more] I’ll die! Just let me die! Why should I still be living when my precious boys are dead?

BABALAWO: Dead! But who say they’re dead?

[He hastily collects his things together to begin the divination.] Dead! [To BABA IBEJI.] Did you tell her that?

MAMA IBEJI: [Wailing.] They’re dead! you just don’t wish to tell me, that’s all!

Ah, all my life wasted!

BABALAWO: But calm yourself, Mama Ibeji! Calm down and I’ll ask Ifa!i [He begins the divination, chanting]…

MAMA IBEJI: [Calming down]. Thank you jare, Baba Adahunse…

BABALAWO: Well, just sit down and be patient. And you others, if you wish to know what has happened to our dear twins, sit down too. It won’t take that long, for five years is a short space on the diving tray! (6-8)

BABALAWO: [Shouting our suddenly.] Look! Yes, look in my eyes! In my pupils, you can see them both now, can’t you? Yes, Tayelolu and Kehinde, on the first stage of the journey! At their first stopping place, where the journey began! At the crossroads of Abuja! See for yourself!... (9)

These and many other issues relating to intertexualization, sign and signification in reading/interpretation of Nigerian plays such as that of Osofisan’s Twingle Twangle… Ukala’s Akpakaland, Idegu’s Tough man and other plays selected for this study. It is apparent that the plays selected for this study have something that makes them interlaced. That is the area of hiding something to be discovered by the reader/interpreter. A critical mien into Akpakaland revealed a lot of textuality and language as semio-aesthetic elements. In Akpakaland, A tail grows from Unata’s body calls for African semio-aesthetic analyses as it is not ordinary, it is African. Enwe the medicine man who planted the tail through divination (Non-discursive symbols) like Babalawo in Twingle Twangle… and Debia in Hard Choice needs textual and Afro-semio-aesthetic interpretation through language and character used for Afro-semio-aesthetics to thrive. Glaring from Akpakaland thus:

AKPAKA: (To UNATA.) What do you say to that?

UNATA: What should I say? When one sees a weakling, does one not hunger for a fight? …If my husband who slept with me a few nights ago, believes I have a tail because Fulama has said so, then I ha… ha… (Begins to weep) IYEBI: (Moves over to her.) Don’t cry! Don’t cry because of this witch? Did she

not say the same thing about me just now? If you or I have a tail, what is his business? Is she our husband? (17)

Fulama’s character, language and emotional attachment to the issue of wife has a tail or no tail sets the conflict on the move. Iyebi’s character and language can also be seen from her statement and action and what Akpaka says about her, as they try to clarify the issue of tail. These are textualities and languages that call for proper interpretation for semio-aesthetics to thrive. Textuality, character and language are parts of the core elements of African semiotics and aesthetics. The aforementioned lines espouse the characters of Fulama, Akpaka and Iyebi which of course, may be understood through deconstructive hegemony and Afro-semio-aesthetic analysis for meaning generation by the reader/interpreter. Fulama’s action may be studied from envious perception and that of Akpaka may be studied from his physiological, sociological and psychological traits, which can be seen apparently from his action against Fulama above.

Thus, Textuality is a practice. Though a text’s textuality, it makes itself mean, makes itself be, and make itself come about in particular way. Through its textuality, the text relinquishes its status as identity and affirms its condition as pure difference. In indifferences, the text “dedefines” itself, etches itself in a texture or network of meaning which is not limited to the text itself. A quick look at Iwuh’s The Village Lamb and Okoh’s Edewede exposed these networks of meaning that are not limited to the text. In Edewede for instance, the language of Ebun and other women is textually loaded:

EBUN: Women have weapon!

A very powerful weapon for that matter!

It brings the kings from their high throne, Down on their kneels before their slaves, Creeping and Peeping.

It makes even the Chief High Priest of the oracle Shiver like a leaf before his helpless client, Fluttering and Flapping

It disarms even the most powerful man on earth, Jinglelet Yekpete.

Yes, women have a wonderful weapons.

SECOND MARKET WOMAN: What weapon is that? Name it.

EBUN: Our bottom. Yes, our bottom is our power. As from this day lock it up until they crawl to us for reconciliation. Is that clear!

MARKET WOMEN: Yes, it’s very clear.

EBUN: Good. If death does not kill the sacrificial hen, some day it will bear some chicks.

FIRST MARKET WOMAN: Women!

MARKET WOMEN: Bottom power!

FIRST MARKET WOMAN: Women!

MARKET WOMEN: Bottom power!

FIRST MARKET WOMAN: Together!

MARKET WOMEN: WE stand!

FIRST MARKET WOMAN: Divided!

MARKET WOMEN: We fall!

FIRST MARKET WOMAN: Women!

MARKET WOMEN: Bottom power! (Edewede 46-7)

The textuality and language here are creatively loaded as elements of semiotics and aesthetics, they require semio-aesthetic analyses for meaning generation and adequate understanding of the playtext. Similarly, in The Village Lamb, the elders’ language and the textuality of the play are fused with meaning which are fused that the playwright may want the reader/interpreter to discover. As Ricoeur puts it that: “the interpreter explores about this question ‘What does this text talk about?’ In this level, the interpreter digs deep into the text for deeper understanding and seeks to bring out the hidden ingredients of the text” (Ricoeur 1625). Ujowundu’s conversation The Village Lamb with the elders is explicit on this:

UJOWUNDU: Well, after a successful tour the king’s kola returns to him. The orange peel that reaches the refuse dump has indeed got home…

UZOKWE: I’ll say why we’re here quickly and briefly. There’s no need for details because if we probe our past with serious scrutiny we shall uncover the

albino’s privacy. (Sternly) Ujowundu! The lamb is back. Have you told him what he should know, or do you require a special skill to do so?

UJOWUNDU: You don’t force a mother on the child. A sensible child would ask for his mother.

MADUAKO: Must we wait until then? Enough! We’re tired of your slipperiness.

We need not breast-feed you on matters of our tradition!

UZOKWE: Maduako, be patient. Stones and grains don’t go well in the mouth. The tooth should know better. Ingrates forget the importance of their toilet sticks until they are pressed. (Pause) Ujowundu, where is Amadi? (The Village Lamb 11)

The exchange above through language and character needs Afro-semio-aesthetics for interpretation. Barry describes this as the structuralist approach to literature. In Barry’s words he submits that: “there is a constant movement away from the interpretation of the individual literary work and a parallel drive towards understanding the larger abstract structure which contain them”

(91). It is claimed that the act of reading, rather than the interpretation of one work, engages the reader in discovering a network of textual relations. Tracing those relations is, in fact, interpreting the text, that is, discovering its meaning, or meanings. Reading thus becomes a process of ‘touring between texts’. “Meaning becomes something which exists between a text and all the other texts to which it refers and relates, moving out from the independent text into a network of textual relations” (Allen 1). Once the text is identified other texts in the play would be linked to it, then meaning will be deduced from the conglomeration of texts which will in the end provide the ground for the message’s standpoint of the play. We contend at this juncture that text hence goes beyond just mere thematic preoccupation of the playwright, to a more comprehensive stance, that congregation of texts and their connectedness to make/bring out the meaning of the play text.

When we read a text our intent is to extract meaning, it is supposed that when we read a work of literature we are trying to discover a meaning which lies inside that work. Literary texts possess meanings, and that is why readers extract meaning from them. Hermeneutically, the process of

extracting meaning from texts is called interpretation, but to succeed in this, the hidden part of the text must be discovered. Ododo’s Hard Choice is explicit on this:

PRINCESS: Tonight I shall carry the burden of Emepiri kingdom to the gods so that war is averted and lives saved. Chinelo, what could be more honourable. Please, I’m in high spirit today don’t dampen it…

PRINCE: I know you’re upset with me.

PRINCESS: I’m not, the prince of Igedu Kingdom.

PRINCE: I tried to reach you but the Queen’s security network around you was impenetrable.

PRINCESS: I know, Chinelo told me everything.

PRINCE: My Princess, look we don’t have much time. My people are getting set for the ritual slated for Oguguru shrine to recover the crown with your life.

I’ve come to elope with you to far distance, far away from this entire weird atmosphere. Hurry…

PRINCESS: It’s too late, Prince Oki. Can we really escape from our shadows? No.

The life of your father, the King of Igedu Kingdom, and that of the entire people of Emepiri Kingdom are enmeshed in this weird atmosphere. It would only take a life, my life, to save them and you want me to walk away?

PRINCE: What then happens to me? (Hard Choice 48-9)

The character of Princess was revealed as courageous fellow which must be deconstructed for meaning generation through Afro-semio-aesthetic elements. The meta-textual reflections of the play; this imply reading the play outside the playtext; Riceour’s appropriation of course, the material for the play was picked or gotten from the society, hence, the play must have a link with the society; having a reflection on the society. Some critics believe that any literary work that does not have a reflection of the society in it thematic standpoint should be thrown away because it is the society that gave birth to such text. Which is: “the gained understanding is used for expanding the text into a life world, here the interpreter seeks to achieve the writers thoughts and feelings but does this through (the interpreter’s) understanding and meaning gained from the text” (Ricoeur 1627). Needless to ask whether, there may be any work of literature that will exist in a vacuum;

without an iota of reflection on the society? This is one of the reasons why the play may be fused

with textuality and language because the environment/society gave birth to it, as Emmy Idegu’s Tough Man captures actions from both this world and the other world thus:

The connect between the living and the dead was established by Inikpi as she tries to champion the way forward on how to ameliorate the problem of the people. What is most important is that, the relationship between the living and the dead should be well understood by the reader/interpreter through Afro-semio-aesthetic elements for proper interpretative purposes.

Inikpi: (Sighing.) Humnnnn. So what do we do? How do we help our people?

Things cannot continue like this. (To Ame) What do you think?

Ame: There you come again. You sacrificed yourself for Igala people. Your death was never appreciated… (22)

Afro-semio-aesthetics model is hinged on the environment of the play texts, therefore, textuality and language are central to Afro-semio-aesthetics analyses. Because for a reader/interpreter to understand the communication between the dead and the living, he should understand the cosmic order of the African world of the living the dead and the unborn, which is naturally Africa’s. this cosmic order of the world are reflected in some Nigerian dramas that require the concept of Afro-semio-aesthetics for proper interpretation and meaning generation.