The Paradoxical Image of Women in Soyinka’s Madmen and Specialist, Kongi’s Harvest and Death and the King’s Horseman — Ijeoma Precious Obiyor

ABSTRACT: Extant studies on the representation of women in the plays of WoleSoyinka enunciated the subjugation and oppression of women informed by thepatriarchal cultural standards. This paper questioned this prevailing reading andembarked on evaluating the paradoxical image of women in Soyinka’s Madmen andSpecialist, Kongi’s Harvest, and Death and the King’s Horseman. Emphasis is laid ontheir traditional roles and the “Ogunnian” concept inherent in the selected plays,highlighting the paradox that runs through the words, actions, and thoughts of thefemale characters. The aim is to challenge the criticism that Soyinka portrayed womenin his plays merely as objects for men’s sexual pleasure or evil seductresses who liveoff men and precipitate their fall. The research methodology is descriptive, involving aclose reading of the selected plays from the perspective of Arnold (1970) Historicism,which juxtaposes the historic estimate with the real estimate of the text, and theFormalist approach, which analyzes plots, evaluates conflicts, figurative expressions,and determines how these elements affect the actions of the female characters. Thefemale characters in the selected plays were interpreted based on their actions,speeches, and their relationships with other characters within the text. The findingsrevealed that African women in the selected plays, although capable of doing good andevil, are industrious and supportive of the men and community, engaging in diversevocations, firm and intrepid in the face of tyranny, and consistent in defending theirbeliefs. The paper concluded that Soyinka’s characterization of women in the selectedplays was utterly ambivalent, yet persistent in its defence of African traditions andprinciples of life and growth, revealing African women as the pivot of community life.KEY WORDS: Arnoldian Historicism, Formalist, Ogunnian, Patriarchal, Tradition