John
Kolosa Kargbo was one of the prolific dramatists in sierra Leonean.
Most of his extremely well-crafted plays were written in the vernacular,
Krio, and they were warmly received when staged in Freetown. These
works of art were accepted because they addressed the fundamental ills
that ravaged the Sierra Leonean society.
Let me die alone is one of the few plays he wrote in English and like others staged in Seirra Leone.
His
other play titled 'Poyo Togn Wahala' was brilliantly crafted that it
portrayed the corruption, incompetence and indifference of the ruling
elite. This particular work incurred him wrath of the then government in
Seirra Leone thus he was forced to go into exile in Nigeria.
BACKGROUND
Kolosa‘s
'Let Me Die Alone' is based on the historical Madam Yoko or Mammy Yoko
(1849-1906) of the Mende people in Sierra Leone. She was a leader and a
legendary monarch of the Mende people in Sierra Leone. According to
history, she is from an advantageous lineage coupled with her shrewd
marriage choices and the power given to her from the secret Sande
society, Yoko became a leader of considerable influence that she
expanded the Mende Kingdom and at the time of her death, she was the
ruler of the vast Kpa Mende Confederacy.
Kolosa's 'Let Me Die
Alone', however, addresses the gender struggles of the famous madam
Yoko, the crises she encountered within her chiefdom, the sacrifices and
her courageous decision to joins all-male secret society and the
wielded tremendous influence with the colonial masters. She however,
felt betrayed despite her influence with the colonial rulers, that she
was instructed to relinquish her conquered territories. This is the last
straw that broke the camel's back.
PLOT SUMMARY
John
K. Kargbo, "Let Me Die Alone", is a play written in three acts, seven
scenes. The play sums up the prevalence of betrayal in a typical African
traditional society. The play opens at Senehun in Gbanya's bedroom
while Sande drumming is ongoing on the offstage. Gbanya, the ruler of
the Mende Chiefdom, is seem in a dire need of romantic play with his
wife, Yoko, thus hindering her from to join the company of other Sande
women, a cult women dancer. Gbanya urges her to stay with him and attend
to his emotional urge andjulst at the moment of succeeding in forcing
Yoko to bed, they were instantly interrupted by a violent knocking
offstage. It was a message from the Governor through the messenger who
informs them that Governor Row, the British colonial representative will
be visiting tomorrow. In the light of the news, Gbanya sensed something
bad will happen to him as the Governor has never visited before. He
acknowledged that it might have something to do with the boys he hired
out to John
Caulker to fight against his brother, George and this further confirms his fears and unseats his heart.
However,
Yoko being a smart woman sensed that her husband is disturbed and he
confirms it as he confides in her the anxiety, he gets over the constant
visit of his ancestors in his dream, imploring him to join them. He
also said he dreamt about he been humiliated by the Governor in presence
of his people.
At first, Yoko tries to dissuade him from
wallowing in negative thoughts. Later when she notices his unwieldiness
to her advice, she reminds him of his promise to bequeath the throne to
her at his demise. Gbanya objects vehemently to such arrangement by
laying claims to the fact that Mende Land is in a state of chaos and
disorder and It needs a man to right the wrongs.
In scene Act 1,
scene two, we encounter Musa and Lamboi. They both are presumably
members of Gbanya's administration. Lamboi, who is obsessed about his
ambition to become the chief, seeks the cooperation of Musa, the seer
and the medicine man, in killing Gbanya. At first, Musa refuses to
oblige to Lamboi's evil agenda. He later accepts to help when Lamboi
threatens to reveal his secret of human sacrifices.
Gbanya
prepares to receive his enemy the governor with lots of gifts, although
his wife, Yoko feels otherwise and advises that Gbanya to prepare for
war as he receives the Governor. Also, Lamboi feels gifting so much gift
to the governor is not needed, but Gbanya insists.
The
anticipated Colonial Governor, Dr Rowe, arrives and as expected, he
outrightly humiliates Gbanya for supporting a white brother against the
other. He sees it as a direct affront against his orders that there
should be no more fighting. Gbanya continues to deny the accusation but
the governor humiliates him by ordering his soldiers to flog him with a
whip, fined to pay fifty pounds in the equivalence of cattle and rice.
When the Governor and his team leave. Lamboi and Musa took the advantage
of this incident to poison Gbanya in pretense that it is meant to
relive his pain. While in his death throes,
Gbanya is quick to
recognize he has been poisoned. He curses his killers and instructs Yoko
to take charge of the chiefdom before he dies.
Lamboi tries to
persuade Yoko out of the idea of becoming the new chief as he tries to
proclaim himself as one. But suspicious Yoko, who is convinced that
Gbanya has been killed by the duo, objects to the pronouncement. She
assumes the mantle of leadership and decides to join the Poro cult which
would consequently prevent her from bearing children.
As Act two
opens with Jilo preparing to cook for her husband Ndapi. Lasana, her
lover appears to have an affair with her. Here, we witness the
infidelity of Jilo to Ndapi as she is involved in extra marital affairs
with Lansana right in her matrimonial home even at a very narrow escape
of being caught by her husband and Iavalie who had entered but were
engrossed in discussions that concerns the mysterious death of Chief
Gbanya and the expansionist war Yoko was about to embark on.
As
Ndapi and Lavelie leave the stage to strategize on how to stop Yoko from
embarking on war, Lansana and Jilo emerge from the hut and agrees to
meet at a safer place.
When Ndapi returns, he is portrayed as a
woman-beater, one who maltreats his wife as he won't stop to inflict
pain on Jilo even while they converse. After a while, a guard enters and
urges him not to beat his wife that it could make him lose his
self-esteem. Jilo reveals Yoko's plan to move the chiefdom from Senehun
to Moyamba.
In the following scene, we witness Yoko in her royal
splendor in her palace in Moyamba, there is a rapid growth in Yoko's
powers with her servitude to the Governor and the expansion of her
chiefdom.
We also witness a shift in her government's seat from
Senehun to Moyamba. Yoko also expresses an uneasy feeling and fear of
being killed by those who don't want her on the throne. She expresses
the wishes of being a mother instead of a queen, she misses the joy of
motherhood, she then requests the presence of Jeneba, Ndapi's daughter
whom she adopted as her own daughter.
While Yoko prepares for a
meeting with the elders after a guard announces the arrival of a
messenger from the Governor, Ndapi drags his wife Jilo to the barre
before Chief Yoko and accused her of adultery with a member of Yoko's
household, Lansana who is already on the run to Taiama. Immediately,
Yoko deploys two warriors to fetch him as she was disappointed with Jilo
and Lansana's abominate act. While this is on, Musa and Lamboi do not
relent in their ploy to eliminate Yoko and take the kingdom for
themselves. They marvel at how Yoko has successfully managed the affairs
of the chiefdom and her dexterity in maintaining a good diplomatic
relationship with the Governor. They decide to kill Jeneba and incite
the people against her (Yoko).
Yoko thereafter prepares to embark
on a stately visit to the Governor's place. But before she leaves for
herjourney, a report of Jeneba being kidnapped was brought to her and
she ordered a search to unravel the disappearance of Jeneba before she
returns.
Meanwhile, the duo, Musa and Lamboi start their
nefarious plan. They kill Jeneba and impress the people into believing
that Yoko is the guilty evil doer by engaging in human sacrifices to get
the favor of the Governor. They poisoned the mind of the people, the
village's Sande women, Jilo and most especially, the father of the
child, Ndapi.
Upon yoko's arrival, she is called several
unprintable names, such as "witch", "murderer" etc. Yoko is baffled by
the people's sudden change in attitude towards her. She is more confused
when Ndapi questions her legitimacy to the throne. She then realizes
that she had been accused of burying Jeneba alive to sustain her in
power and allow good favour from the Governor. Frantically, she plead
innocent and denies having a hand in Jeneba's disappearance.
Ndapi
will not listen to any of these. Rather he attributes her heartlessness
to her inability to procreate. Fortunately for the queen, the dead body
of Jeneba is found mutilated; her heart and private part cut off.
Upon
this discovery, everyone realizes that Yoko has been wrongly accused.
Ndapi, in particular, tries to make amends for the humiliation he has
made her go through. Yoko announces that she will unravel the matter to
its very root at the Poro Bush.
After a thorough investigation,
she discovers Lamboi and Musa are behind the death of Jeneba. Ndapi
attempts to go after them but Yoko reminds him of the consequence of
their actions: "Their noses will rot, cataracts will marry their
eyeballs, leprosy will devour their fingers and elephantiasis will cling
to their legs" which is the Gbeni's revenge.
As all these is
ongoing at the Poro Bush, the messenger of the governor arrives to bring
message to Queen Yoko. The messenger who is a Poro man was initially
stopped by the guards from entering the shrine but allows on confirming
by the queen that he also belongs to the Poro society as well. In his
message, he tells Yoko that the Governor has instructs her to relinquish
all her conquered territories.
This upset the queen and sees it
as the last straw that broke the camel's back She sends Lavalie for some
herbs that was delivered through a guard to the queen. Musu prepares
the concoction. At the same moment, Yoko turns to the messenger and
expressed her displeasure over boundary demarcation. She says she felt
humiliated after her long years of services and loyalty to the Governor
and this obvious reward is least expected. Yoko realizes she has been
overwhelmed by depression, she turned deaf hear to Ndapi and Jilo's
apologies and recalls her husband had one time warned her that; "behind
every set of white teeth there lurks an evil plotting mind" she
dismisses them and the messenger. She receives the concoction from Musu
who perceived it was poisoned and wanted to drink it first but the queen
disagreed and says;" LET ME DIE ALONE". She poisons herself
amidst pleas from everyone and sends words to the entire chiefdom not to
mourned as she did not bring a child to this world. She slums to the
ground and dies.
MAJOR EVENTS
Gbanya
demands a romantic moment from Yoko// Governor Rowe's intend to visit
Senehun// Gbanya is troubled about the fate of the chiefdom {Act 1,scene
1. page 1—8,}
The play opens at Senehun in Gbanya's bedroom
while Sande drumming is ongoing on the offstage. Gbanya, the ruler of
the Mende Chiefdom, is seem in a dire need of romantic play with his
wife, Yoko, thus hindering her from to join the company of other Sande
women, a cult women dancer. Gbanya urges her to stay with him and attend
to his emotional urge and just at the moment of succeeding in forcing
Yoko to bed, they were instantly interrupted by a violent knocking
offstage. It was a message from the Governor through the messenger who
informs them that Governor Row, the British colonial representative will
be visiting tomorrow. In the light of the news, Gbanya sensed something
bad will happen to him as the Governor has never visited before. He
acknowledged that it might have something to do with the boys he hired
out to John Caulker to fight against his brother, George and this
further confirms his fears and unseats his heart.
However, Yoko
being a smart woman sensed that her husband is disturbed and he confirms
it as he confides in her the anxiety, he gets over the constant visit
of his ancestors in his dream, imploring him to join them. He also said
he dreamt about he been humiliated by the Governor in presence of his
people.
At first, Yoko tries to dissuade him from wallowing in
negative thoughts. Later when she notices his unwieldiness to her
advice, she reminds him of his promise to bequeath the throne to her at
his demise. Gbanya objects vehemently to such arrangement by laying
claims to the fact that Mende Land is in a state of chaos and disorder
and It needs a man to right the wrongs.
Lamboi blackmails Musa in order to graft him into his treachery to kill Gbanya {ACT 1, Scene 2, page 9-16}
Here,
Lamboi is seen taken up by the desires to take over the chiefdom from
Gbanya and in order to alleviate his fear of it {the throne} been given
to his sister, Yoko, he seeks the assistance of Musa, the seer and the
medicine man, and when he refuses on the ground of his loyalty to the
throne. He blackmailed him by threating to reveal his secret of
involving in human sacrifices. Lamboi, however successfully connives
with Musa, the seer and the medicine man, to kill Gbanya. They both
strategize and resolved to lure Gbanya to the Poro bush after the
governor's visit to drink from a medicine poisoned with the gall of
alligator.
Governor visits and humiliates Gbanya as
foreshowed in scene one // The plot to kill Gbanya was actualized//Yoko
join the Poro cult {Act 1, scene 3, page 17—29}
The anticipated
Colonial Governor, Dr Rowe, arrives and as expected, he outrightly
humiliates Gbanya for supporting a white brother against the other. He
sees it as a direct affront against his orders that there should be no
more fighting. Gbanya continues to deny the accusation but the governor
humiliates him by ordering his soldiers to flog him with a whip, fined
him to pay fifty pounds in the equivalence of cattle and rice.
Shortly
after the Governor and his team leave, Lamboi and Musa took the
advantage of this incident to poison Gbanya in pretense that it is meant
to relive his pain. Gbanya who is quick to recognize he has been
poisoned, while in deep pains, He curses his killers and instructs Yoko
to take charge of the chiefdom before he dies.
Lamboi tries to
persuade Yoko out of the idea of becoming the new chief as he tries to
proclaim himself as one. But suspicious Yoko, who is convinced that
Gbanya has been killed by the duo, objects to the pronouncement. She
assumes the mantle of leadership and decides to join the Poro cult which
would consequently prevent her from bearing children.
-
Adultery brews between Jilo and Lasana// Ndapi is portrayed as a wife
beater/l Yoko plans to expand and move the chiefdom from Senehun to
Moyamba. {Act 2,scene 1, page 30-41}
Here, we see Jilo the wife
Ndapi and Biological mother of Jeneba preparing to cook and Lansana her
lover shows up with the intentions to lure her to bed right in her
matrimonial home. Jilo resists, but Lansana succeeded by dragging her
into the hut.
As that was on-going in the hut, Ndapi and Lavelie
entered from the opposite direction, a narrow escape it was as they both
were engrossed on the recent incident that befalls their formal chief
and how much they think Yoko is obsessed with the ambition for more
expansion. When they both existed the scene to strategize, Lansana and
Jilo emerge from the hut and Lansana seems satisfy because he got what
he wanted and is prepared to risk his life for another attempt.
Shortly
after Lansana exits, Ndapi returns and he began to query Jilo her
whereabout which she blames on their sickly child. Of course, Ndapi
won't believe her and began to inflict pain on her, while this was
on-going, a guard enters and urges him not to beat his wife that it
could make him lose his self-esteem. Ndapi and the guard further review
Yoko's greed for war that they considered as vain and provocative. Jilo
also reveals Yoko's plan and intention to move the chiefdom from Senehun
to Moyamba.
- Yoko moves the chiefdom from Senehun to
Moyamba// Ndapi caught Jilo and Lansana in adulterous act and Jilo
losses three months pregnancy//Lamboi and Musa plot to kidnap and kill
Jeneba {Act two, scene two, page 42-56}
In scene two, we witness
Yoko in her royal splendor in her palace in Moyamba, there is a rapid
growth in Yoko's powers with her servitude to the Governor and the
expansion of her chiefdom. The shift in her government's seat from
Senehun to Moyamba was also actualized but Yoko expresses an uneasy
feeling and fear of being killed by those who don't want her on the
throne. She wishes and desires to be a mother instead of been a Queen,
recall she joins the Poro cult in Act one, scene two which comes with
the consequence of not ever to mothered a child of her own. She wishes
to experience the joy of motherhood. Afterwards, she requests the
presence of Jeneba, Ndapi's daughter whom she adopted as her own
daughter and have some quality fondly time with her.
After a
while, Yoko prepares for a meeting with the elders after a guard
announces the arrival of a messenger from the Governor, Ndapi drags his
wife Jilo to the barre before Chief Yoko and accused her of adultery
with a member of Yoko's household, Lansana who is already on the run to
Taiama. Immediately, Yoko deploys two warriors to fetch him as she was
disappointed with Jilo and Lansana's abominate act. While this is on,
Musa and Lamboi do not relent in their ploy to eliminate Yoko and take
the kingdom for themselves. They marvel at how Yoko has successfully
managed the affairs of the chiefdom and her dexterity in maintaining a
good diplomatic relationship with the Governor. They decide to kill
Jeneba and incite the people against her (Yoko).
- Yoko leaves
for official duties to Taiama and Lamboi takes over of the chiefdom in
Yoko's absence/Jilo reports Jeneba's disappearance //Lamboi instigate
the people against Yoko/ Yoko is accused of murder// Jeneba's dead body
was found and the real killer was unveiled.
Having receives the
messenger in the previous scene from the governor, Yoko thereafter
prepares to embark on a stately visit to Taiama. She has been sent to
crown two chiefs and in her absent she ordered Lamboi to take charge of
the kingdom till she returns. But before she leaves for herjourney, a
report of Jeneba being kidnapped was brought to her by Jilo, Jeneba's
mother and she ordered a search to unravel the disappearance of Jeneba
before she returns.
Meanwhile, the evil duo, Musa and Lamboi
start their nefarious plan. They kill Jeneba and impress the people into
believing that Yoko is the guilty evil doer by engaging in human
sacrifices to get the favor of the Governor. They poisoned the mind of
the people, the village's Sande women, Jilo and most especially, Ndapi,
the father of the child.
Upon Yoko's arrival, she is called
several unprintable names, such as "witch", "murderer" etc. Yoko is
baffled by the people's sudden change in attitude towards her. She is
more confused when Ndapi questions her legitimacy to the throne. She
then realizes that she had been accused of burying Jeneba alive to
sustain her in power and allow good favour from the Governor.
Frantically, she plead innocent and denies having a hand in Jeneba's
disappearance.
Ndapi will not listen to any of these. Rather he
attributes her heartlessness to her inability to procreate. Fortunately,
in the Queen's favor, the dead body of Jeneba is found mutilated; her
heart and private part cut off.
Upon this discovery, everyone
realizes that Yoko has been wrongly accused. Ndapi, in particular, tries
to make amends for the humiliation he has made her go through. Yoko
announces that she will unravel the matter to its very root at the Poro
Bush.
After a thorough investigation, she discovers Lamboi and
Musa are behind the death of Jeneba. Ndapi attempts to go after them but
Yoko reminds him of the consequence of their actions: "Their noses will
rot, cataracts will marry their eyeballs, leprosy will devour their
fingers and elephantiasis will cling to their legs" which is the Gbeni's
revenge.
** Governor Rowe reduces Yoko territorial control//Ndapi and Jilo seek forgiveness from Yoko/l Yoko commits suicide.
The
messenger from the governor brings a message to Queen Yoko at the Poro
bush, he was stopped from entering by the guards because only the
initiates and members are admitted into the shrine. But the Queen clears
the messenger as a member and he gains access to see her.
The
messenger told the Queen that her territorial control has been reduced
and she get upsets and sees it as disgrace. The news of her territorial
reduction was a last straw that broke the camel's back She sends Lavelie
for some herbs that was delivered to her through a guard. Yoko then
gives it to Musu to prepare the herbs into concoction.
The Queen
expressed her displeasure over her boundary demarcation and tells the
messenger to tell the governor that the reward she gets from him after
so long years of services and loyalty is least expected.
Ndapi
and his wife, Jilo seeks forgiveness from the queen claiming they were
misled but the queen wouldn't hear any apologies. She recalls how her
late husband, Gbanya has warned her that: "behind every set of white
teeth there lurks an evil plotting mind". She dismisses the couple and
the messenger.
Yoko takes the concoction from Musu who had
suspects it is a poison and wanted to drink it first before the Queen
but Yoko disagrees and says: "Let me die Alone" because she savored the
fruit of power alone. She drinks the poison and slums, while she is in
pain from the poison, she sends words to the entire chiefdom not to
mourned her demise because she did not bring a child to this world. She
dies and dirge rises.
THEMES
John
Kolosa Kaegbo's Let me die alone explores the topical issues of
colonialism, gender discrimination, betrayal, excessive desire for
power, suicide, homicide, human sacrifice, and a listless other. These
issues further accentuate the artistic quality and social relevance of
the play.
THEME OF BETRAYAL:
In
John k Kargbo's "Let me Die Alone" the theme of betrayal is one of the
most prevalent themes in the play. The theme significantly develops the
plot and accentuate the social relevance of the play, especially to our
present African society. Gbanya trusts Musa, the seer and the medicine
man, but one who suppose be the incorruptible loyalist to the throne
connive with Lamboi who notjust his trusted warrior, but also a brother
to his most loved wife, Yoko. Musa poisoned Gbanya under the pretense
that the medicine will alleviate his pain sustained from the strokes he
gets from the Governor's soldiers.
These evil duos also betrayed the
entire the community who trusted them as they instigated them against
Yoko over the disappearance and subsequently the death of Jeneba. Their
obsession for power drives all of these evil and treacherous acts.
In
a similar stance, in the play, we see how Yoko responded to Governor
Rowe message to on boundary demarcation, which was least expected as a
reward for her servitude to the colonial master. Rowe betrays her long
years of services and loyalty without blinking an eyelid.
THEME OF COLONIALISM and COLONIALIST ARROGANCE:
We
see this theme manifest at the very beginning of the play. Gbanya who
was about to get intimate with his beloved wife became troubled at the
arrival of the message that the Governor is visiting Senehun.
Despite
his mixed feeling and predictions that Governor Rowe might come to
humiliate him, we saw a lot of preparations going on to receive the
Governor.
Upon arrival, the height of the Governor's arrogance is
demonstrated when he commands his soldiers to strip chief Gbanya for
flogging. Even on his arrival, when Gbanya attempts to embrace him, but
he told him not put his filthy hands on him.
This is however a
denigrating treatment of the traditional ruler by the Governor. Rowe's
treatment of Gbanya is highly suggestive of the aura of impudence and
self —professed superiority colonial administrators exuded.
Furthermore,
the colonial master exudes her superiority by striping off Yoko her
newly acquired territories without breaking a sweat. It will be
recollected that Yoko painstakingly consults the governor before she
embarks on her conquest of new territories. She does not go off limit
but the governor strips her of the territories all the same. This shows
the colonial administrators took Africans and their rulers for granted.
Through
these instances in the play, John Kargbo buttresses the puppetry and
powerlessness of African traditional rulers during colonialization.
THEME OF GENDER DISCRIMINATION:
The
theme of gender discrimination cannot be over-emphasised in Karpgbo's
"Let me die alone" it is also a prevalent theme that actively
contributed to the development of the plot.
In Senehun and
Mendeland at large, women are not treated as equals of men. Women are
considered fragile, vulnerable and incapable of managing crises. We saw
this played out at the beginning of the play when Gbanya drags Yoko into
his bedroom and he claims that his need of her is more important than
the Sande women, he even says they can continue to dance till they die
but his sexual needs should be her priority.
Secondly, we learnt
from Yoko's discussion with Gbanya that she had been promised to be his
successor, but now that it looks like it time for Gbanya to transcend to
the land of his ancestors, he reluctantly validate his promises.
More
importantly, the conflict in the play builds up because Lamboi felt the
necessity to take the throne from Gbanya because he has the knowledge
that it might be handover to Yoko, a woman, whom he thinks might not be
able to lead the chiefdom to war.
However, Yoko's doggedness
allows her to a chief in Mende land that she had to forgo her innate
right to bring a child to the world when she decides to join the Poro
cult.
THEME OF OBSESSION FOR POWER:
Lamboi's
obsession for the throne and power would have him do anything within
and outside his reach to achieve. We see this played out when he visited
Musa, the seer and the medicine man, to plot against Gbanya but Musa's
refusal further shows that Lamboi would not take a no for an answer. He
further blackmailed the seer in other to influence his decision to join
him execute his evil plans. In his desperation to become the chief, he
kills a chief and inspires the death of an innocent child, Jeneba and
even imprint on the mind of the people of Senehun the impression that
she was buried alive by the Queen.
THEME OF HOMICIDE:
Theme
of Homicide is explored in the character of Musa and Lamboi. These evil
duos poisoned Chief Gbanya and they also killed Jeneba, the only
daughter of Ndapi and Jilo.
THEME OF HUMAN SACRIFICE:
Lamboi
succeeded in getting Musa, the chief priest, on his side of evil plans
to kill Gbanya because Musa indulges in human sacrifice, which he uses
as a stance to black mail him. We learnt through Lamboi that he often
sacrifices children in order to gain prosperity, good health and
longevity. Also, the cruel death and mutilation of Jeneba considerably
spells out human sacrifice in the play.
THEME OF SUICIDE:
When
the people of Senehun; the Sande women and Ndapi humiliated,
embarrassed and wrongly accused Yoko of sacrificing her to the gods to
get the favor of the colonial masters and for power to get more
territories. Yoko fell into depression and the sudden reality of her
inability to bring a child to the world as used to hunt her by Ndapi
made her sorrowful "a disease of the mind".
While she was still
dealing with sorrow from the humiliation she gets from her subjects, the
arrival of the message from Dr Rowe adds salt further to her injury. It
was the last straw that breaks the camel's back She commits suicide.
She poisons herself amidst pleas from her trusted attendants.
CHARACTERS
Gbanya Lango
Gbanya
is the traditional ruler of Mende Chiefdom. He is a polygamist, married
to 37 wives. But Yoko is his most cherished wife among the others
because her moral flexibility and at some point, he promised to hand
over his kingdom to her as his successor.
Madam Yoko
She
is Gbanya's favorite wife a courageous and strong woman who believes
that women are also human. She is a lover of Music and act as a seer.
She rules over Mende after the death of her husband and exhibits a sense
of authority and in the process forced to forgo the delights of her
womanliness in order to prove that she can be and act like a man.
Against all obstacle, she became the chief of Mende land. This
doggedness in her character is used to counter the known traditional
myths that presents women as unimportant and incapable to function in
the affairs that concerns the state.
She receives a great
commendation from her imperial Majesty the Queen of Great Britain. She,
undoubtedly feared by her male contemporaries, envied by other women and
her closeness to the British rulers are talk of the town.
However,
she was humiliated and frustrated by her own subject and subsequently
disgrace by the Governor who decides to reduce her territorial control
in spite of her years of loyalty to him. She commits suicide by taking
poison.
Ndapi
Ndapi
is the chief warrior of Senehun. H e is the father and husband to
Jeneba and Jilo respectively. He is portrayed as an insensitive man and a
wife beater in the play. He inflicts pain on Jilo at any slightest
mistakes. Even Jeneba confirms to Chief Yoko that her father has been
beating her mother, Jilo.
He is a very loyal warrior to chief
Gbanya and at his demise he was ready to resign his position but Yoko
stops him from laying down his spear.
His wife's infidelity and
the subsequent death of his daughter, Jeneba unsettled him. He blamed
his wife and later blames Yoko when he believed the story of lamboi and
Musa.
He insults Yoko and hinders her from getting to the
throne, calls her many unprintable names. He, however return to seek
Yoko's forgiveness when the truth behind the killing of Jeneba was
revealed.
Musa
He
is the seer and medicine man in Mende kingdom, well respected and
trusted. He betrays Gbanya when he connived with Lamboi to hijack the
leadership of Senehun kingdom. He poisoned King Gbanya with Alligator
gall.
Lamboi
He
is Yoko's brother who is hell-bent on ascending the throne of Senehun.
He deploys blackmail and intrigues to achieve his purpose. He is
portrayed in the play as one who is over-ambitions and won’t stop at
nothing to get what he is obsessed about. He connives with the seer and
the medicine man through blackmail to poison Gbanya. He strategizes to
unseat Yoko from the throne and to achieve that, he suggests the
kidnapping and killing of the little Jeneba just to accuse Yoko and in
turn set the people against Chief Yoko.
Jeneba
she
is the only daughter of Ndapi and Jilo. Jeneba was portrayed as
brilliant little girl and was very loved by Queen Yoko. Lamboi and Musa
murdered Jeneba as a means to blackmail the queen and the dead of the
caused Yoko a huge humiliation for barrenness.
Governor Samuel Rowe:
He
is a colonial master who undermines Africans and African rulers both in
actions and with the use of derogatory utterances. In Act 1, scene 3.
Rowe said to King Gbanya, "If you annoy me, Gbanya. I will cut out that
lying tongue. Soldiers! If anyone makes just one false move. I will pump
him full of hot lead. And now, this will teach you never again to go
against the command of her Imperial Majesty in whose service I am proud
to be. It will teach you to confine your war boys at home. (Signals to
another soldier who brings out a whip which Gbanya is beaten). Stop! Now
you dog, get up! You will pay a fine of fifty pounds in the equivalent
of cattle and rice. And next time you disobey my orders,
you will be
arrested and locked up in the colony". He is autocratic without respect
for traditional institution, he treats the Sande dancer with scorn and
thinks highly of what he has done to Mende
Jilo
Jilo
is a careless mother to Jeneba, because her carelessness exposed Jeneba
to her untimely and gory death. She is also portrayed as an unfaithful
wife to Ndapi, the chief warrior, she seems not to be happy in her
marriage as we see lot of ineffectiveness in carrying out her domestic
duties such as delays in cooking for her husband, delays in fetching
firewood and all of these display of ineffectiveness get on Ndapi nerves
and he doesn't hesitate to beat or inflict pain on her at any slightest
mistakes or query. She was caught by her husband flirting with Lansana
in the bush. Jilo's daughter Jeneba draws her
closeness with Madam
Yoko who is fond and adopted her daughter since she can not have a child
of her own. As a result of her closeness to the royalty, she is privy
to some vital information, for instance, she reveals to her husband that
chief Yoko plans that move Mende's capital from Senehun to Moyamba.
In addition, Jilo's carelessness exposes Jeneba to danger as she was abducted and killed by Lamboi and Musa.
Lansana
Lansana
is captive from one of the numerous war trip that Gbanya embarked and
conquered. Yoko saved him from death when he was brought back as a
slave. He has three wives but still goes to make love to Jilo, a wife of
his own friend, Ndapi. When he Ndapi finds out the affairs between him
and his wife, he runs away to Taiama knowing the gravity of his offence.
Although, Jilo finds him a better man than her husband because he
admires, tressures her and make her feel proud as a woman than her
husband.
Other characters are:
Lavalie
Fanneh
Musu
Messenger
0 Comments
NOTE: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately as they require review and approval by a moderator. Remember to check the "Notify Me" box before submitting your comment to receive notifications when your comment is approved or when a reply is posted.