Elesin The Characters and Their Characteristics

ELESIN. … Iyaloja, who is she? IYALOJA. Has one step already in her husband’s home. She is betrothed. ELESIN. Irritated IYALOJA. … Today is your day… we know you for a man of honour.. I dare not refuse. Soyinka, 1986: 19-21 Iyaloja’s idea of obedience to her superior not merely exist there, but it is shaped from the background of the community, the kingdom whose culture is upheld strongly and practiced in everyday life. b. Traditional Due to her strong belief into the ancient faith that has become the core of the culture, every action that Iyaloja took has been passing consideration concerning the faith itself. Lot of scenes when she has to make decisions, she will refer back to the culture, the faith that people believe and then make the decision. The scenes including the part shown in letter a when she agreed to make the girl a bride for Elesin is one example. IYALOJA. The matter is no longer in our hands. … Only the curses of the departed are to be feared. … be sure the seed you leave in it attracts no curse. Soyinka, 1986: 21 Iyaloja believes in the idea that if she does not follow what the culture tells her to do, there might be something bad happened; a curse. In the scene when Elesin gave his forgiveness to Iyaloja and the women of the market, she was so happy that nothing bad will happen concerning this issue. IYALOJA. Dancing round him. Sings. He forgives us. He forgives us. What a fearful thing it is when The voyager sets forth But a curse remains behind. Soyinka, 1986: 16 c. Honored Her actions and decisions that are seen right by the women of the market make them, the women, to give her respect and honor her for that and her respective position in the market. When Amusa ask Iyaloja to tell the other girls to not insult him any longer and throw some kind of threats, the girls then approach him believing that he has insulted them by acting carelessly towards Iyaloja. AMUSA. Iyaloja, make you tell dese women make den no insult me again. If I hear dat kin’ insult once more… GIRL. He’s out of his mind. It’s our mothers you’re talking to, do you know that? Not to any illiterate villager you can bully and terrorise. Soyinka, 1986: 36-37 The way Iyaloja is addressed is also different. While talking to the other women, they are addressed as “women” but when Iyaloja comes, she is addressed as “Madame Iyaloja”. The two scenes above show Iyaloja as someone believed by the common villager to be in different rank that has to be treated different. d. Powerful The fact that Iyaloja gets honored by the common villagers affects her authority towards the women of the market. She then becomes role model of the women. IYALOJA. …She kneels, the other women follow. Soyinka, 1986: 16 She is believed to be more powerful and to know more than them. WOMEN. What does he mean Iyaloja? This language is the language of our elders, we do not fully grasp it. Soyinka, 1986: 20-21 This examples, added with the praise from the Praise- Singer about “how wisdom she is” show the women’s trust and ‘dependency’ towards her words. In the end Amusa’s speech about her implies the power of her authority. AMUSA. Madame Iyaloja, I glad you come. … Tell these women to stop obstructing me… Make you tell dese women make den no insult me again. Soyinka, 1986: 36 Amusa ’s speech implies that Iyaloja position is believed to control the other women of the market which is why she can “tell the women” what to do for they, the women, have trust and honor in her.

3. The Women of the Market

Here, the writer combines the women and the girls of the market into The Women of the Market. They are portrayed in the play to trust and have high respect to Iyaloja as The Mother. a. Obedient The Women of the Market have highly respect to Iyaloja and believes that his