Bowels of Mercy By Eguriase S. M. Okaka ( PART 3 )
GURIA CONCEPT &
BOOKS
PRESENTS
BOWELS OF MERCY
EGURIASE S. M. OKAKA
(BOM)
FOR THY MERCY IS GREAT ABOVE THE HEAVEN
SCENE 23
(The scene rises as it reveals Andrew’s flat where Pastor Charles is seen sitting with the couple discussing with Andrew and Tina. Andrew is gazing at him thoughtfully without responding to what Pastor is saying, while Tina is looking angrily at him. To her, what he is saying does not really mean anything, because she believes that she is in her matrimonial home. Tina happens to be a church-goer who goes to church occasionally or when she feels like, to such the word of God may not really mean anything to them).
Pastor Charles: “And it
came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air
came and devoured it up.
And some fell on stony
ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprang up because it
had no depth of earth:
But when the sun was up, it
was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
And some fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
And other fell on good
ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth,
some thirty and some sixty and some a hundred.” (Mark 4:4-8).
Brother
Andrew, you know this Bible passage very well. (Pause). Heaven is real,
more real than when we first believed it. Let me say here that heaven is made
for sons and daughters of God, you see, you are a child of God and not a child
of the devil.
Tina: Bravo! (Begins to clap). If he
is a child of God so who am I? Oh I know I am a child of the devil.
Pastor Charles: I never said so, fair lady. (Andrew
is still speechless looking at Pastor). Well……
Tina: Andy, these people are
pestering you. You never told me that you have so many intruders around you people
who cannot mind their own business. (She storms into the bedroom).
Pastor Charles: My son, do you really know who this lady is? (Andrew
rises and moves to the middle stage, still gazing into space speechlessly).
She is the daughter of the demon of pride and seduction. You are entangled by her demonic plots and
powers. (Tina enters again).
Tina: So, you are still here
sermonizing to your member. I am sorry he is mine now and not yours anymore.(She
goes to Andrew). Andy, it is high time he left. Walk him out!
Andrew: Well, Pastor Charles, you have to go
now I have no choice.
Pastor Charles: You will have a choice Brother Andrew. The
Almighty God will deliver you from this trap. (He rises).“And unto man
he said, behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom and to depart from evil
is understanding.” Be wise my son. God bless you.
Tina: He said you should go you can
leave now I beg you, Pastor Charles.
Pastor Charles: God bless you, Tina.(He leaves).
Tina: Have a nice day, Pastor
Charles. Come and have your seat. Forget about these people they are intruders,
busybodies people who cannot mind their own business.(Just then a knock comes in and a
postman enters carrying a bag containing envelopes).
Postman: Good day sir, you have a letter. (He
hands over the letter to Andrew) Please sign here.(He gives him his logbook to
signs before the postman leaves) Thank you, sir. (Tina then takes the letter from
him and read out some of its contents)
Tina: Dear Mr. Andrew Oghenerohno, we
are sorry to inform you that your service with our bank is no longer required,
due to negligence of duty. This action takes effect from today……… Damn it! (She
flings the letter away angrily).
Andrew: I saw it coming when I did not resume
work for four days after my vacation. I knew that trouble would come.
Tina: Dear, don’t worry yourself, the
beautiful things are yet to come. Well, this is nothing but the trial of your
faith in me.
Andrew: I know with you at my disposal sorrows
are gone, gone forever.
Tina: Andy, I’m delighted very glad
that you know that. So let’s go inside and relax the nerves and let’s put the
world and its troubles behind us. (As they make for the bedroom the light goes
out).
Lights
Out
Questions from scene 23
1. Identify
Pastor’s message.
2. Why
did Tina tell Andrew to send Pastor away?
3. What
was the content of the letter?
4. From
the play, what is Tina’s assignment?
5. Has she accomplished any? Support your claims from the play.
SCENE 24
(The scene rises as it reveals Peter’s fairly furnished one-bedroom self-contained apartment remaining as before. He is seen praying fervently for Andrew in the middle of the night. The atmosphere is peaceful and calm because most people are fast asleep, except Peter who seizes the opportunity to pray instead of sleeping).
Peter: My brother Andrew, I am distressed for
you.
My
brother Andrew, very pleasant hast thou to me.
How
are the mighty fallen in the midst of battle?
And
the weapons of war perished.
No! No! No! The weapon that is formed against thee shall not prosper, and every tongue that shall
rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the
servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, said the LORD. (His
prayers become more tents and he rises and paces around the room,
demonstrating his actions).
There
is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (He
groans). My brother Andrew, I command that the chains binding you to
every agent of darkness be broken, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Every
arrow returns to the sender,
Every
enchantment be destroyed,
Every
divination I terminate,
Let
them catch fire and burn to ashes, in Jesus name, Amen.
(God
answers him instantly by a thunder strike which set some captives free including
Andrew).
Lights Out
Questions
from scene 24
1.
Who is Peter praying for and why?
2.
What does Peter’s prayer signify?
SCENE 25
Papa Andrew: Once again, I must thank you for making the marriage between
your daughter Tina and my son Andrew possible.
Papa
Tina: You can say that again but I must reserve thanks to you for making this dream a reality and for putting incessant
pressures on Andrew. You see, what Andrew brought after the marriage to my
house, I was surprised and it still beats me hollow to this very moment.
Papa Andrew: My in-law, it is said that the goat that died in a barn of yams
did not die of hunger.
Papa
Tina: That is true
my in-law the sage.
Papa Andrew: That is why I did what I did, partly to keep our friendship
going on and the other can’t be explained, it is only known to the gods.
Papa
Tina: It is very normal to leave what we cannot
explain for the gods to handle.
Papa Andrew: There is palm wine before us. Let’s help ourselves with it and be
joyful for the rest of our lives. (As they begin to pour the wine into the
calabash the light goes out).
Lights
Out
Questions
from scene 25
1.
What visual element in this scene complements
their discussion?
2.
Quote a line or more from the scene which
shows that papa Tina is fortunate to have given Tina’s hand in marriage to
Andrew?
SCENE 26
Papa
Andrew: (Singing). Hey
make una see-e
Foolish
e mani e plant mangoro
For
main road o
Bifor
e come o
Another
man o pluck o
Odio
ta me`re
Hey
wegbe nughe
Ekpa
osha`re
Ken
mangoro phi jede o
Besiero
vbo rhe
Another mani pluck am o
Odio
ta me`re o
It is the foolish man who knows what makes him to be foolish, as for me I am not foolish, but wise. That is why people always call me the sage. I am in charge of things to come concerning my life and that of my children. (Mama Andrew enters carrying a bunch of plantain on her head and holding a cutlass in her right hand).
Mama Andrew: So na here you still dey, wey everytin don scatter an turn upside
down for Andrew house? Since wey e marry Tina everytin just dey go zigiri
zarara foram. See, dem don sack Andrew bicose de ghe no let am go work for four
days after e vacation. According to dem, dem say love dey catch fire. Na so
Tina no dey let Andrew go for church again, sotey Andrew just dey look person
gbor like person wey devil don sidon for e heart. My husband de bomb wey you
set don explode for your pikin house, if you no quick go na ashes you go meet
for dere bicose de fire don start to burn well well. Na my own I don tell you
so.
Andrew: It is none of your business that is
purely mine. You should let the gods handle the issues that we cannot handle.(He
starts weeding again and singing along. Mama Andrew seeing that continues her
journey again).
(Sings). Akpo kire ki
Eki
yam rhere
Oro
tso no ko kpo
Lights
Out
Questions from scene 26
1.
What is Papa Andrew’s occupation?
2.
Identify Mama Andrew’s information.
3.
What is his response?
SCENE 27
(The scene rises as it reveals Andrew’s well-furnished flat remaining as usual. He is seen coming out of the bedroom into his sitting room, taking a seat at the dining table, and sits down. Just then he starts thinking about what Pastor Charles earlier said in the previous day as we hear his lines recapping again).
Pastor Charles: “And it
came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air
came and devoured it up.
And some fell on stony
ground, where they had not much earth; immediately it sprang up because it
had no depth of earth:
But when the sun was up, it
was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
And some fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
And other fell on good
ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth,
some thirty and some sixty and some a hundred.” (Mark 4:4-8).
Brother
Andrew, you know this Bible passage very well. (Pause). Heaven is real
more real than when we first believed it. Let me say here that heaven is made
for sons and daughters of God, you see, you are a child of God and not a child
of the devil.
Andrew: Oh, Pastor Charles I have not seen you
for some time now. (Sighs) What is happening to me for God’s sake? Am I entangled
or what? I have not been going to church for some time now. I have lost the joy
I used to have for soul winning. Aha! (Just then a Demon appears).
Demon: You are not entangled, my good brother.
You are doing the right thing. Go on, you are on the right track.
Andrew: I don’t agree with you. If I am on the
right track why am I like this? (He questions and moves to the shelf where
he picks a Bible and dusts it) Look at how dusty it is. (He
opens to II Timothy 2:4 and reads aloud)“No man that warreth entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen
him to be a soldier”.
Demon: Not so Andrew. (Seeing this, the Demon goes in
to bring Tina to the sitting room).
Tina: Andy, stop reading that book, we
have so many things to do inside. Let us go in and take some rest. (She subtly takes the Bible away from him caressing
him, throwing it on the floor and they move into the inner chamber).
Lights
Out
Questions from scene 27
1.
Is Andrew coming back to his senses?
2. If Andrew repents this means they have lost the battle. Discuss.
SCENE 28
(The
scene rises as it reveals Andrew’s well-furnished flat. In the bedroom, Andrew
is seen asleep on the chair while Tina is sleeping on the bed comfortably. They
were both fast asleep when Andrew falls into a dream. In his dream, he hears a
song being sung in the sitting room so he goes to see what was going on there
and finds a group of people singing in their festival praising a demonic image
before them and to his surprise their Lead-singer was Tina his supposed wife.
The song is: “ko
ko ko ri ko ko ede mi tsa dikara mi tsa kewhe”. The song goes on repeatedly. Andrew is perplexed when he sees this
sighuted, “Jesus save me”! At that moment the Demons disappear. He wakes up suddenly from the
dream and looks at Ti still sleeping comfortably. He walks down to the
sitting room and sees some shadows moving away).
Andrew: Who is that? (Shouts) O Lord, save me from this trap. (The good Lord answers)
VOICE: You have departed from me and you have
chosen your own way. “There is a way which seems right unto a man but the end
thereof is the ways of death”.
Andrew: Forgive me Lord I repent from my wicked
ways and I’ll turn a new leaf henceforth.
VOICE: You have sinned against me. You have
chosen your own ways. Turn now from your wicked ways and be saved.
Andrew: “Heal
me, O LORD and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art
my praise”. (Jeremiah 17:14)
VOICE: “I
am the Almighty God, walk before me and be thou perfect.”(Genesis 17:1b)
Andrew: I will, Lord. I plead for mercy dear Lord.
Wash me clean with the blood of the Lamb. (Burst out singing).
I’ve
wandered far away from God
Now
I’m coming home
I now
repent with bitter tears
Lord
I’m coming home…….
Coming home, coming home,
nevermore to roam:
By thy grace, I will be thine,
Lord, I’m coming home.“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy
loving-kindness: according to unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my
transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from mine
iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Against thee, thee only, have
I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightiest be justified
when thou speaks, and be clear when thou judgest.
Create in me a clean heart, O
God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy
presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of
thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit.”(Psalm 51:1, 2, 4, 10-12).
(Burst,
into tears when the Angels of God appear at the surroundings showing God’s
presence).
VOICE: “The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, I will
not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy
word: But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of
the LORD. (Numbers 14:20, 21). I have forgiven you, my child. You are
delivered. “If the son of man shall make
you free you shall be free indeed”.
Andrew: “I
will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his
rider hath he thrown into the sea.
The LORD is my strength and
song and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an
habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a man of war: the
LORD is his name”. (Exodus 15:1-3) (Another
Sings again)
I am
thine O Lord, I have heard thy voice
And
it told thy love to me:
But I
long to rise in the arms of faith
And
be closer drawn to thee.
Draw
me near….er, nearer blessed Lord,
To
the cross where thou hast died,
Draw
me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To
thy previous bleed side.
Lights
Out
Questions from scene 28
1.
What does Andrew’s dream signify?
2.
Who is the Lead-singer in Andrew’s dream?
3.
What does that portend for Andrew?
4. What do his songs depict in this scene?
SCENE 29
(The scene rises as it reveals Jahika’s meeting coven where his co-demons were seen watching an event of Andrew’s repentance on a wall screen. The atmosphere is a very sad one for them when Andrew repented, they yelled simultaneously to this great shocker to them).
Demons: Hey! The battle is lost!
Jahika: (Picks his walkie-talkie and calls hastily).
Attention
your majesty!
Attention
King Lucy!
The
Holy One has won.
Andrew
has repented.
Tina
has failed her assignment.
The
battle is lost!
King
Lucy: Attack Andrew immediately and kill him.
Bring Tina, she must pay for this.
Jahika: Your Excellency!
Lights
Out
Question from scene 29
1.
Hey! The battle is lost! What literally
application is used in the above statement?
2.
What message is passed to King Lucy?
3.
What is King Lucy’s response?
SCENE 30
(The scene rises as it reveals Andrew’s bedroom again. Tina wakes up from sleep dejectedly like a defeated foe. She has been defeated by the power of the Lord who saved Andrew from her entanglement. She is not happy but only pretending to see if she can accomplish this last task. Andrew’s eyes are now open and he remains in the sitting room studying his Bible joyfully when Tina approaches him coming from the bedroom spreading her arms wide to embrace him with smiles beaming from her).
Tina: Andy, come to me as usual, embrace me,
kiss me and let us flow into the stream of love. (She repeats it again)
Andy, come to me as usual, embrace me, kiss me and let us flow into the stream
of love and go beyond……..(She bursts out laughing). Ha! Ha!
Ha! Ha!
Andrew: Stay where you are? Do not come near me.
Tina, who are you?
Tina: (Laughs) Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! I am your
wife for goodness sake. So you don’t know me by now? Don’t be stupid! Andrew, I
will tell you. I am a daughter from the planet below simply put, a daughter of
seduction and pride, of Lucifer, of the devil the father of all liars. How
about that, well forget about that. Andy, come to me as usual embrace me, kiss
me, and let us flow into the stream of love and go beyond……..the great macrocosm
beneath.
Andrew: Not me anymore you liar! I am a child of the
Almighty God and I am covered with the blood of the Lamb. No, I won’t follow
you to your macrocosm beneath. (Tina
intends to move to him). Do not move further than that. Do not come
near me again till I find a way out of this mess. (Jahika and five other Demons
appear to help Tina accomplish her task)
Demons: Okri-kpo-kpo-kpo-kpo-o!
Okri-kpo-kpo-kpo-kpo-o!
Jahika: Liar you liar. We are here to take your
liver to our King. We must eat it tonight, you can’t go free. None can save
you this time around. Attack him! (They draw their swords and move towards him
but they retreat seeing the Angels of God encamped around him). I say
attack! (Makes move again and retreat).
Angel: Touch not my anointed and do my prophets
no harm. We come against you in the name of the Lord of the host.(All
the Demons disappear including Jahika and Tina inclusive). The battle
is over; you are delivered in the name of the Lamb.(Angels disappear).
Andrew: The
Lord, the Lord God is merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in
goodness and truth. (He bursts into singing)
Worthy, you are worthy
King of Kings
Lord of Lords
You are worthy
Worthy, you are worthy
King of Kings
Lord of Lords
I worship you.
Lights
Out
Questions from scene 30
1.
Why is Andrew refusing Tina now?
2.
“Who are you”? This shows that Andrew does not
know who Tina is. Discuss.
3.
Identify the onomatopoeic sound in this
scene.
SCENE 31
(The scene rises as it reveals Pastor Charles’ house where members of the church were seen praying for Brother Andrew. Elder Landy is addressing the prayer warriors which include Pastor Charles, Evangelist Ruth, Sister Mercy, Brother Peter and other members of the church. They were all gathered praying fervently for Andrew to come out of the chains binding him to the prevailing forces of darkness and their activities, which bind him to Tina. This is about the last day of their prayers and fasting).
Elder
Landy: Today is the last
day of our fasting and prayers for Brother Andrew’s deliverance from the powers
of darkness binding our brother. However, after our prayers, we shall march
down to Andrew’s house to fight the final battle and take him out violently,
for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink. You see, brethren, since the days
of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffered violence, and the
violent take it by force. We shall violently release him from the dungeon of
the devil. For I am persuaded that chains cannot hold those bound whom Christ
has made free.
Pastor Charles: Elder Landy, flesh and blood did not reveal
that to you but the spirit of God. Let me say here that the Lord has fought for
us already. As we were praying this morning “the
hand of the LORD was upon me and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and
set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
And
caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the
open valley; and lo, they were very dry.
And
he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD,
thou knowest.
Again
he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones,
hear the word of the LORD.
Thus
saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into
you, and ye shall live”: And Evangelist Ruth had the same
revelation and began to shout in her dream, Andrew you are free thrice. She saw
chains broken and many captives were freed including Andrew.
Peter:
Praise thy Lord!
Members:
Hallelujah! (From afar Andrew’s voice is heard singing).
Elder
Landy: Listen, who am I
hearing singing. Is that not Brother Andrew?
Pastor Charles: Oh! God has answered our prayers. (Andrew
enters still singing). God is faithful indeed He has delivered Andrew.
Andrew: (He knees down and raises his hands towards
heaven).
I
will, I will, I will God helping me I will O Lord be thine, thy precious blood
washed to purchase me. I will be wholly thine………
Pastor
Charles: God has restored
Andrew, it is so clear the miracle is so clear. God is merciful and mighty to
save. Hallelujah!
Members: Praise thy Lord!
Andrew: O Elder Landy I’m sorry for what I
said the other time. You see….(He cuts in).
Elder
Landy: I know, my brother
we all know that you were not in your right frame of mind. Nevertheless, we
thank God for his tender mercies and for restoring you back to his flock.
Evang. Ruth: When Heaven rejoices over one sinner that repents who are we
not to rejoice with you Brother Andrew? You are welcome to our midst we rejoice
with you.
Andrew: Thank you all for your prayers and
fasting for my restoration, God has indeed answered our cries and in due time,
he will reward your labor of love. God has shown me the bowels of his mercies.
Pastor Charles: I am happy, today is the happiest day of my
life. Let us pray first thereafter the rejoicing shall continue. (As
pastor Charles starts praying the light goes out).
……… Rejoice the Lord is King
Rejoice
I say rejoice………..
Lights
Out
Questions from scene 31
1.
What does the above scene depict?
2.
List the importance of this scene to the
play?
SCENE 32
(The
scene rises as it reveals the chambers of The Summit of Seven. King Lucy is
seen pacing angrily around in the chamber and vibrating to Tina and Jahika and
other regional heads of forces of darkness present, they are the members of the
“SUMMIT OF SEVEN”. The atmosphere is tense and Tina and Jahika are ashamed of
themselves not knowing what might befall them now and the members are also
facing the same problem too and trying to avoid his wrath).
King
Lucy: Bring Tina here! (He commands as two of his guards
bring Tina forward and standing close to her). You have failed in the
assignment given to you and you gave ‘them’ the opportunity to spit on me and
my powers. Well done for so doing! (He claps twice). You shall now get
my reward,(Shouts). Execution!(He laughs). That is my verdict and
reward for unfruitful servants like you. (He claps again while two Executioners enter
and takes Tina away and shouts calling Jahika). Jahika where is your
weapon of pride and seduction?
Jahika: It is still intact your majesty.
King
Lucy: Go for another for the Son of Man cometh!
Jahika: I will your majesty.(He
disappears and King Lucy gives a wild laugher).
King
Lucy: Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
Lights
Out
Questions from scene 32
1.
Who is King Lucy referring to as ‘them’ in this
scene?
2.
What led to King Lucy’s action?
3.
The devil does not have a free gifts for
anybody. Discuss.
EPILOGUE
(The
epilogue rises as it reveals Pastor Charles standing close to a busy market
place where many people were seen buying and selling diverse wares and some
others were merely looking or catching fun of madmen or women picking stuff
from the garbage near the market to prepare delicious meals. In this situation, nobody remembers whether Jesus will come again or not, but the scriptures
rightly state in the book of Matthew 24:38, 39 …. “For as in the days that
were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in
marriage until Noah entered the ark. And knew not until the flood came and
took them away, so shall also the coming of the son of man be”. Pastor Charles
then walks down to a quiet corner to deliver the author’s last words).
Pastor Charles: There are two forces controlling all human
activities, that is: the forces of good and the forces of evil, or the force of
light and darkness, and man is always at the mercy of either of these forces.
Man is the agent or tool for manipulation by them. The force of good is
controlled by the spirit of the Almighty God, that is, the spirit that tells
you to do right always while the spirit
of evil will always tell you to do evil and making it look normal to you. The
forces of evil tend to be more convincing and enticing than the forces of good,
because it is controlled by the devil himself who will always strive with men
to get them over to do evil at all times.
In the world, today people doing good are very few while those doing evil are very
many, the reason is not far-fetched because the devil makes evil very
attractive to the eyes, and people need flashy things since the devil knows
this he introduces many as evil and it is attracting men and women, young and
old to it. Because those doing good are very few they tend to join those doing
evil because they are many saying it is the spirit of democracy but that does
not work with God.
The devil only knows how to do evil things that is the force that controls most of the world’s activities today e.g. stealing, stubbornness, cultism, and a lot more. If the devil promises anything, he can’t give it. What he can only give that is what he has to give anybody is destruction and death, like he gave to Tina, one of the characters in the play. We’ve seen the roles played by these forces in the play and the positive and negative consequence which results from the various activities.
In the above story, we have seen these two forces manipulating the activities of the various characters in the play and how they end up, especially that of Andrew and Tina and their activities in the story. What did Andrew get at the end of the play and what Tina gets as her reward for masterminding the evils which pervades the story? She receives death from King Lucy as her wage which is the direct opposite of what he promised her earlier before she embarked on the assignment of seducing Andrew to marry her and subsequently, falling him from the faith and destroy him.
There
are many lessons to learn from the story picking from the themes of the play
and from the roles played by various characters in the story, showing the
communicative and relative nature of drama as the closest genre of literature
to man. I strongly believe that you have read the story and learned a good
lesson for yourself. May you be blessed by what you’ve read? Amen!
Lights
Out
Question from the epilogue
1. What
is an epilogue?
2. Do a
thorough search from scene one to the last scene.
3. What
are the themes expressed in The Bowels of Mercy?
T H
E E N D
BY
EGURIASE
S. M. OKAKA
(BOM)
CALL - 08026711232
DEFINITION OF LITERATURE
Literature
is a form of writing that expresses ideals of universal interest. The write-up
are always about the beliefs of a people and their way as in their customs and
traditions and history. Though the greater percentage of literary works
is based on people yet few writers used animals as their characters, those are
referred to as fables.
All
literary works are always divided into two groups that are, Fiction and
Non-Fiction. Fiction is imaginative writing not based on history or facts while
Non-Fiction refers to all writings based on facts rather than mere
imaginations. It is an exact writing
. The interesting thing about these aspects of writing is that they both pass across
a message and they are entertaining too.
SCOPE
OF LITERATURE
Literature
covers the history, tradition, customs, norms, myths, and legends of the
society.
GENRES
OF LITERATURE
Prose,
Drama, and Poetry; we shall talk about them later.
.
FUNCTIONS OF
LITERATURE
There
are many functions of literature which include:
·
It
develops the language of people
·
It
provides information to a people
·
It
enables the reader to know more about their society and that of others.
·
It
teaches moral lesson
·
It
is a forum for educating people
·
It
creates awareness in people
·
It
assists in projecting the customs and traditions of the people
·
It
entertains and acts as a medium of relaxation.
Literature
is Prose, Drama, and Poetry, these three genres make up literature. When
we talk about literature we talk within these scopes:
PROSE
Prose
is the ordinary non-metrical form of written or spoken language and it is an important genre of literature.
CHARACTERISTICS
OF PROSE
It
characteristics consist of:
·
It
is made up of chapters and paragraphs
·
It
consist of continuous writing
·
It
issues are chronologically connected
·
It
may consist of dialogue
·
It
lacks the regular and irregular rhythmic pattern of poems
·
It
consist of character and characterization
·
It
is made up of plot, setting, and themes
POETRY
Poetry
is the sort of writing stimulated by emotion, expressing a deep feeling that
cannot be well expressed in ordinary writing. It is also a collection of poems.
CHARACTERISTICS OF POETRY
·
It
is written in stanzas, verses, and lines
·
It
expresses deep feelings
·
It
makes use of rhyme schemes
·
It
words are sometimes abstract and ambiguous
·
It
always use figurative language as a means of expression
DRAMA
Drama is a unique literally form
because they are designed to be acted out on stage before an audience. It is
usually written in acts or scenes. Drama is the closest genre of literature to
man. The other two genres of literature which include poetry and prose may approach issues indirectly or from the
abstract point of view but drama deals with issues more appropriately.
Drama is a work of art or a piece of writing
in a form of a dialogue to portray actions and it is meant to be staged.
CHARACTERISTICS
OF DRAMA
It characteristics
includes:
·
Drama is meant to be acted on stage
·
It makes use of dialogue
·
It division consists of Acts and Scenes
·
It requires audience active participation
·
It makes use of Monologue in form of Aside
and Soliloquy
TYPES
OF DRAMA
Drama
is divided into:
·
TRAGEDY: The tragedy is a form of drama that portrays ugly and unpleasant actions and it
normally ends on a sad note. Example: ‘The Story of the Epileptic Man’ by
Eguriase S. M. Okaka.
·
COMEDY:
Comedy is full of life and ends happily. It is divided into:
ü Farce: This is a kind of
dramatic comedy with an exaggerated intention mainly to make the audience laugh due
to a funny presentation of characters.
ü Burlesque: This
is another exaggerated and ridiculous form of comedy with a wide line the demarcation between the subject matter of the play and its styles.
ü Travesty: This
is another exaggerated form of comedy that makes a distortion of character and
events raised in the drama.
·
TRAGIC-COMEDY:
This is the combination of both the qualities of tragedy and comedy put
together in one form.
By:
Eguriase
S. M. Okaka
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