Interrogating Nationalist Ideologies in Nigerian Drama: A Textual Analysis of Esiaba Irobi’s <i>Hangmen Also Die</i>

Abstract

There is no contesting the fact that dramatic writing and criticism in Africa have their relevance; either for the purpose of entertainment, information or conscientisation for social transformation, or drawing attention to new ideas in scholarship. Also, within this, is the notion that every writer has his/her ideological leaning(s), which serve as the springboard for contextual understanding of what the work addresses. Esiaba Irobi is one of such writers that deploy their drama texts in the signposting the aforementioned ideals. This article, through textual analysis, investigates how the play, Hangmen Also Die engages the concepts of nationalism and the call for social order. Using the Social Revolution Theory (SRT), the paper argues that Irobi’s Hangmen Also Die contributes to the comprehension of the discourses of nationalism and national development. Like other related African drama texts, the play calls for subtle social revolution especially in Nigeria’s political landscape.