THEMATIC AMPLIFICATION: A STUDY OF PETER OMOKO’S CHARACTERISATION CRAFT IN CRUDE NIGHTMEN AND MAJESTIC REVOLT

Authors: Ebiketonmor Opomu & Oboli, Blessing (Ph.D.)

ABSTRACT

A literary writer communicates a wide range of ideas and concerns about his society, whether past or present. This is done with the ultimate aim of making his readers benefit from his ideological standpoint.  But the manner of expression is crucial to the reception accorded, and the successful interpretation of the literary text by the intended reader. A writer considers a number of literary tools to enable him to express his ideas effectively. The consideration for the deployment of the different literary tools in communicating these ideas makes a writer the successful artist he desires to be and equally acknowledged by the reader. This we can say of Peter Omoko who has written a number of plays. His works are loaded with different shades of literary themes suitable for critical scrutiny. There are few critical works done on his plays but mostly focus on the surface thematic analysis. It suffices to say that no work has been dedicated to investigating how the playwright uses the tool of characterization to reinforce his thematic concerns. This paper examines how the writer creates characters for the purpose of furthering the themes in the chosen play texts. The analytical procedure is anchored on new criticism which supports analyzing the intrinsic elements of the texts. The Paper finds out that the playwright slightly deploys odd characters to explain abnormal situations created by regular characters. It concludes that this particular method is the hallmark of the playwright’s characterization craft that makes him stand unique as a writer among his contemporaries.

Keywords:  communicates, ideas, concerns, society, characterization, literary tools, craft.

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