CONTEXTUALISING HISTORY AND CREATIVITY: AN EXPLORATION OF AHMED YERIMA'S “THE TRIALS OF OBA OVONRAMWEM

Abstract

This paper beams its searchlight on the relationship between history and creativity in Ahmed Yerima's The Trials of Oba Ovonramwem.The study adopted the qualitative research method usingDocumentary Observation Research instrument in line with the textual nature of the work. The theoretical framework used as a tool of analysis is the New Historicism theory propounded by Stephen Greenblatt, the theory aims at understanding the work of art through its historical context and also understanding cultural and intellectual history through literature. It was observed that, the history has been transformed into theatrical products. Thus the efforts of the playwright atcreating drama out of history appear to bridge the gap between fact and fiction in historical drama. The study establishes that the relationship between history and drama is the one which the playwright offers explanation through his play to historical event while forcing on it his thematic preoccupation.The study finds out that historical plays can be used in the most viable way for the promotion and propagation of the African culture. The play has to some extent tried to achieve this role through the use of songs, proverbs, dances, chants, language of the people. This study also reveals that the playwright has made the play relevant to the contemporary society through some specific themes. The study discovers that in using history for drama, the playwrights is free to rework and recognize the actual story depending on the purpose and what the writer aims to achieve with the story, this is done in order for history to have a sharper meaning to the new people who will see it and also to achieve a thematic preoccupation.From the foregoing, it can be said that history has therefore become a source material for the playwrights; they deem it necessary to interpret it by giving it contemporary relevance. The play is therefore a historical play that is set in a milieu which deals with historical personages and events. The history has been artistically woven from real life material into a highly dramatic piece, establishing a sense of a particular historical period and giving the audience necessary information at the same time leading up skillfully to the climaxes supplied by historical facts. As it were, the word of the past replaces the world of the past, since for the New Historicist, the events and attitudes of the past now exist solely as writing. The author's role to a large extent is determined by historical circumstances. The playwright has done this by carefully and skillfully blending history with the use of dramatic techniques such proverbs, chants incantations, characters, setting, irony, and climax. The paper attempts to encourage playwrights to continue to use history as source material in writing their plays It can therefore be concluded that the playwrights draws their source material from mundane human experience i.e. history and weave them with aesthetics through the power of imagination and creativity thus making it a beautiful play that can preserve the history of their society.