The Mytho-Historical Base of the Drama of Jean Giraudoux and Femi Osofisan: Electre and Morountodun

Abstract

Our concern here is rather to argue that although Jean Giraudoux and Femi Osofisan are great borrowers of mytho-historical materials, their methods and motifs cannot be said to be the same. In this paper, we shall undertake a comparative study of Jean Giraudoux's Electre and Femi Osofisan's Morountodun, which we consider as being among the best representatives of their drama with mytho-historical foundation.We conclude that while Giraudoux strives to remain faithful to the myths he borrows, Osofisan deliberately distorts his borrowed myths. Again, while Giraudoux, influenced by his humanist ideology, uses the myths to preach unity, love and peace among mankind, Osofisan, a Marxist by conviction, uses myths to advance his revolutionary goals.


(Humanities Review Journal: 2003 3(1): 29-36)