STYLISTIC DEVICES USED BY SOYINKA IN THE LION AND THE JEWEL

Drama has been the most popular of genres of literature since the advent of time. No one knows for sure from how and where it originated. Greeks were the first ones to preserve the script of their drama in the written form for later generations to enjoy. Aristotle laid out the rules for a perfect tragedy and described a comedy. And yet drama has gone through many transitions since the time of Aristotle and almost each decade has seen a new form of drama emerging. It is thus apt to say that we have come a long way from Greek tragedies and the way it is developing everyday we can see that we still have a long way to go. Every writer that creates a play has his own unique style that an experience eye can pick out as a trade mark. Each dramatist displays his grasp of the technicalities of drama and a bit of his own personality through his play. Together these two form the ‘style’ of the writer. African Literature that is one of the most critically acclaimed post colonial literatures has many writers who have a flair for using experimental stylistic techniques which encompasses the traditional dramatic technique and their unique African experience. Soyinka a man of many trades and talents has a dynamic personality and his pla

His cunning is evident in how he entraps others in his web through his power of speaking. His characters tend to be types rather than individuals such as Sidi "a true village belle" or Lakunle a typical comical figure both nervous and clumsy and yet he lays out his characters with great detail. With these sequences Soyinka not only manages to provide a relief from the verbosity but also adds the feel of rich Yoruba culture. Other than this, Soyinka uses extended similes and metaphors in a mock heroic style which create a comic effect on stage. By this time in the play the Sidi"tms beauty and pride and Bale"tms cunning and strength has been established. There are characters coming on stage and leaving the stage. Soyinka uses many stylistic devices to maximize the impact of his play as powerful as possible but the most important device that he uses is the dialogues. As we move on to characters we see a clear difference. In example we can analyze the seduction scene between Sidi and Bale. The Lion and the Jewel can be studied as a classic example of various stylistic techniques that he uses time and again. The exaggerated movements of the characters and the entry of dancers and music add to this effect greatly. Baroka very gently"Walks away, an almost business-like tone. Thus his characterization is flawless and complete. His dialogues also are unlike the modern English plays.