Aesthetics: Redefining Femi Osofisan's Dramatic Commitment

Abstract

Nigeria’s playwright Femi Osofisan’s dramaturgy challenges the inherent disequilibrium in class stratification. Through a Marxist prism, he seeks to awaken the masses out of lethargy by exposing the prevailing, dilapidating conditions in society. The widespread and continuous interpretations of his plays along Marxist ideological designation have stripped them of literariness especially their aesthetic immediacy. This has posed a problem in classifying his plays. Using the Formalist Theory, this study reveals that Osofisan’s drama conveys sublime literary sensibilities in the same breath as the ideological outline which is the concern of many critics. Through a combination of style, content, technique, and other literary strategies, the playwright promotes his art to align with the ‘art for art sake’ school of thought. The study further demonstrates that the playwright’s aesthetic commitment imbues spontaneity to his artistic current, thus, playing more vital roles in the appreciation of his plays. His plays, Morountodunand Once Upon Four Robbersare critically interpreted through the Formalist theoretical framework to convey artistic and theatrical flourishes which emblematize them as literary manuscripts rather than political or ideological tracts. By identifying the aesthetic unity in the texts, the playwright is seen more as an advocate of literary culture than a socio-political, Marxist crusader which diminishes his creative reputation.