THE TRIAL OF BROTHER JERO BY WOLE SOYINKA

TRIAL OF BROTHER JERO BY WOLE SOYINKA

ANALYSIS BY EGURIASE S. M. OKAKA

The play begins with Jeroboam in a monologue introducing himself as a Prophet. A prophet by birth and by inclination. All these and others he said in the introductory part of the play. He also distinguished himself from other prophets of his time by red velvet cap which he always put on as a mark of distinction. The beginning plot also reveals most events and characters in the play. Examples include the penitent woman and the Daughters of Discords who serve as Brother Jero’s sad troubles. The daughters of discords serve as the prophet’s tragic flaw as he often sees them as agents of his distraction and temptation. They are his cross I conclude.

The middle plot reveals the revelation of Jero’s tricks on his worshippers or customers as he always calls them. He once said, I love the trade. (Referring to his office as a prophet) brother Jero has a way of making his customers dissatisfied or withholding solutions from them with the idea that when he solved them they might not come again. Solutions to their problems which he never provides for them.

 His apprentice Chume and successor is also a victim of circumstance and his toll of control. Jero makes Chume dissatisfied when he told him not to beat his wife even when she offends him.  She is your cross carry it with patience and bear it with like manner. There are many other people prophet Jero play on their gullibility

The End plot reveals the resolution of his tricks on his worshippers whom he always refers to as his customers. Most conflicts of the play were resolve in the end plot where Chume his apprentice discover that he has been fooled by his master, a supposed man of God. Chume has always believed any prophecy that comes from prophet Jeroboam. Chume never knew that he was the debtor his wife has been complaining about likewise Jero never knew that Amope was Chume’s wife. When he knew he ordered Chume to go and beat his wife and Chume rushed home to carry out the order when he suddenly discover that he has been tricking him giving him all manner of lies as prophecy.

Prophet Jeroboam had earlier told Chume that he never had a house that he sleeps in the beach under the cold and rains. Wet or sunshine. This makes Chume to see Jero as an extra-ordinary man of God which he is not. The revelation by Amope revealed Jero’s house where she goes to supply him his wares. This made Chume realized that there is nothing extra-ordinary about him. He is a man just like him he said. He took a cutlass and make straight to Jero praying on his prayer ground in the beach as Jero saw him coming with the anger in his hand and mind he fled off leaving the Minister he was praying for behind.

Amope once said don’t call him a prophet. He is a debtor. I agree with her..

SATIRIC IN NATURE

The play The Trial of Brother Jero is a satire written by Wole Soyinka. In it Wole describe the character of the present day prophets and ridicules their activities.  It is most ridiculous that the present day prophets suffer what Jero suffers from in the play. This tells us that all human are not free from temptation and thus faced similar fate like Jero.

The play depicts the tragic flaw that causes the weakness and fall of man which the daughters of eve represent in the play. They were the cross Jero had to face but because of his false nature and crookedness he would not discerned it.

Jero kept his customers under his spelt by deceiving them often and making them dissatisfied e.g.  Hiding the true solution from them. That is telling us that jero feels that the church his is business place where he can milk his members dry of their resources. Like some men of God do in this generation. They take their churches as their business centres where they can feed from, making the people destitute of the truth whereby keeping them in perpetual ignorance. This ignorance can be pictured in every spheres of life that is why our governments today cannot be trusted with the affairs of the people they lead.

Today most men of God are seen like tricksters because of the follies of prophets like prophet Jeroboam..

By:

Eguriase  S. M. Okaka