Her Story in His Story: Examining Gendered Undertones in Ahmed Yerima’s Igatibi
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70091/Atras/vol07no02.12Keywords:
African Drama, Ahmed Yerima’s Igatibi, Myth, New Historicism, WomanismAbstract
African playwrights consistently explore issues of gender and history in their works. This paper examines the roles women have played in shaping African history, drawing on Ahmed Yerima’s play Igatibi. The significance of this study lies in foregrounding women’s roles in traditional African society as custodians of our cultural heritage. Ahmed Yerima is well known in the Nigerian drama scene; however, there has been limited scholarly investigation into the contributions and historical roles of women in his plays. This study aims to address this gap by exploring the authentic roles of women in traditional society, emphasizing their position as custodians of culture and tradition. Using theories of Womanism and New Historicism, the study, through a close analysis of Igatibi, highlights the significance of women in traditional African society as custodians of culture and discusses Ilorin's history. The research examines how the playwright employs literary elements such as proverbs, songs, dance, and myth to reveal the history of Ilorin’s traditional religion and the contributions of women. The conclusion is that women play diverse roles in the historical development and progress of society, especially in Ilorin’s traditional society.
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