Abstract:
Convergence of many disciplines such as philosophy, psychology, sociology, religion,
economics, gender studies, history and anthropology in literary scholarship points to
blurred disciplinary boundaries and interconnectedness. This study was an examination
of the intersection between classical Greek and African drama as mediated by notions
of spirituality, justice and gender in selected plays of Sophocles, Euripides, Wole
Soyinka and Ola Rotimi. The objectives of the study were to interrogate the role of
spirituality and justice in making sense of kinship ties in selected classical Greek and
African plays; to investigate the interplay between individualism and
communitarianism in the depiction of notions of spirituality and justice in selected
classical Greek and African plays; to analyse prophecy as trope of spirituality and
justice in selected classical Greek and African plays; and to explore how Greek and
African notions of spirituality and justice manifest in the portrayal of the female gender
in selected classical Greek and African plays. The study set out to achieve its objectives
using two theoretical approaches: Carl Jung, James Frazer and Northrop Frye’s
archetypal literary theory and Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Jacques Lacan’s
psychoanalytic literary theory. Studies on spirituality and justice, dramatic adaptations,
classical Greek drama, classical dramatists’ plays, African drama, and the dramaturgy
of Wole Soyinka and Ola Rotimi were reviewed to expose research gaps. The literature
review revealed that no study had been done to explore the interface between classical
and African drama from the dimensions of spirituality, justice and gender. The study
used purposive sampling to select texts which were examined. Close textual reading
was used to collect data from primary and secondary texts. Content analysis was used
to interpret and analyse data from primary and secondary sources. In the study’s
exploration of the role of spirituality and justice in making sense of kinship ties, the
study found out that aspects of spirituality and justice fostered and destabilised ties
among family members, leaders and marginalised demographics in the society. In
regard to individualism and communitarianism, the study made the finding that self
centredness of deities and political leadership act as enablers and hindrances to social
justice. The study also made a finding that prophecy plays a great role in examining the
discourse on spirituality and justice in Greek and African drama. In the study’s analysis
of the relationship between deities and female characters, it was found that gods and
goddesses enhance marginalisation and oppression of women in the society while at the
same time, empowering them. The study draws the conclusion that there is an interface
between classical Greek and African drama in regard to the similar manner in which
the two dramatic traditions grapple with notions of spirituality, justice and gender. The
current study’s approach gives a fresh reading to Sophocles, Euripides, Ola Rotimi and
Wole Soyinka’s tragedies by adding to the interpretation of the metaphysical dimension
of the plays. The findings of the present study enrich the discourse on intertextuality in
literary studies. The study’s findings are also beneficial to literary critics, literary
theorists and students of literature because they provide invaluable information on the
place of intertextuality in literary scholarship. The study is useful to literary scholarship
because by exploring points of convergence and divergence in the manner classical
Greek and African drama reflect notions of spirituality, justice and gender, new insights
on levels of interconnectedness between classical Greek and African drama are gleaned.
