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Parody of the Shakespearean Fool Tradition in an African Society Durotoye A © Kamla-Raj 2007 J. Soc. Sci., 15(1): 35-42 (2007) Parody of the Shakespearean Fool Tradition in an African Society Durotoye A. Adeleke Department of Linguistics and African Languages, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria E-mail: [email protected] KEYWORDS Parody; Shakespearean fool; Yoruba playwrights; Yoruba fool genre; ironic trans-contextualization ABSTRACT There is always a precursor in any well-established institution, and artistic institution is no exception. The fool tradition itself has its origin in Dionysian phallic rituals, or Greek, Roman and English festivals in general, thus serving as the springboard for the Shakespearean fool. Shakespeare then popularises the fool character in his plays whereby he turns it into an institution. The Yoruba playwrights, like others from any part of the world, seem to have been influenced by the Shakespearean fool tradition to a large extent. This paper, therefore, sets out to draw the Shakespearean parallel that is visible in the Yoruba fool genre with special reference to the appearance, the role and language of fool. Copious examples are drawn from the written and film genres to back up the issue of parody. The paper concludes by paying attention to the mark of departure and what account for such a disparity. INTRODUCTION productions of some creative artists, the Yoruba writers being no exception. A number of critics, such as Wiles (1987), Richmond (2002) have noticed that some texts THE FOOL’S DESCENT produced by many playwrights do have Shakespearean semblance. For instance, it is It is necessary to say that just as a number of observed that Marston’s Antonia’s Revenge writers are said to be indebted to William Shakes- produced by the Paul’s boys shared a similarity peare, so also is he (Shakespeare) indebted to with Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Implicitly, some other artistic traditions, especially the fool Shakespeare is taken as the forerunner. Wiles then tradition which is the focus of study here. Several speculates that it could have been an issue of critics – Welsford (1966), Willford (1967, 1969), expanding ‘Shakespeare’s idea’ or writing Goldsmith (1974), Lukens (1977), Barber (1981), ‘simultaneously, each knowing what the other Lehmann (1981), Sypher (1981), Wiles (1987) - was about’ (p. 57). The point here is that, even have suggested that the fool tradition finds its Shakespeare’s contemporaries (e.g. Robert Green, ancestry in the early fertility rites which definitely Christopher Marlowe) are said to be indebted to antedated the birth and the creative works of Shakespeare, how much more the later writers who Shakespeare. Vidabaek (1996: 195) confirms that, have the opportunity of perusing some of his ‘the Elizabethan stage clown has ancestors as far works when in schools. The Shakespeare-centric back in time as Greek and Roman theatre’. This theatre tradition has found its way to different indebtedness from traditional festivals – such as cultures, hence it is possible to talk of the Greek Dionysian or the Roman Saturnalian- ‘Shakespearean imports’ or ‘Shakespeare in . .’ does not rub off his creative ingenuity and whatever culture (Abodunrin,. 2004: 114-120). invention. For instance, Barber (1981: 244-254) Some creative writers have adapted some of his highlights the gleanings of Saturnalia in texts to suit their own immediate environment. Shakespeare’s Comedies, while Goldsmith (1974: Duro Ladipo’s Otun. Akogun. , a Yoruba play is an 15) says that ‘Feste, Touchstone, and Lear’s Fool adaptation of Macbeth. The Yoruba come near the close of a great popular tradition’ videographers have gone a step further; they (cf. Lukens 1977: 74; Wiles 1987: 165). It is even have on the screen a Yoruba translated version advanced that the Shakespearean fool’s of Julius Caesar (also with the same title), perhaps antecedence could be traced to the French sotties a parallel of Julius Nyerere’s earlier translation of and the Tudor moral plays. His play, A Midsummer the same text into Swahili. All the casts don Night’s Dream, is reported to have a semblance Yoruba traditional apparels. In other words, the of Adam de la Halle’s Le Jeu de la Feuillee Shakespearean tradition is visible in the produced in c. 1276. Goldsmith confirms that ‘cap 36 DUROTOYE A. ADELEKE and bells’ that are parts of the fool insignia in culture that may likely enjoy the reception of the Shakespearean plays first made their appearance readers or audience. This phenomenon is what on the French stage in the sotties or farces of the critics call parody of existing or original work. Adam de la Halle; and not on English stage. This And this results to intertextuality which is a goes to show that Shakespeare’s fool is a distant feature of postmodernism or globalization. This descent of French tradition, if we go by makes it possible to bridge the gap between the Goldsmith’s account: low and high cultures. …the English had no fool plays of satirical sort comparable to the French sotties or the DEFINING THE TERM “PARODY” German Carnival play. Instead, we find that the fool of tradition had become merged in the Several theorists have perceived parody from character of the comic Vice of the Tudor moral different perspectives. From classical point of play, his trait of ironical jesting having interfused view, Aristotle takes parody as an ‘adaptation of with other, less commendable features. And it is a verse epic’ (Muller, 1997: 3). The Russian this trait of irony which the Vice chiefly passed formalists, apart from seeing it as a form of on to the latter stage fool (p. 17). transgression, regard parody as ‘a kind of stylistic In other words, clowning on stage might have exercise’ (Muller, p. 6) that bothers on caricatures borrowed from the following traditions- ‘medieval and defamiliarization or estrangement. This might entertainer, the professional minstrel, the amateur have informed the theorists in hermeneutic circle Lord of Misrule and the Vice’ as different patterns to take it as a sort of ‘servile forgery towards of these traditions frequently resurface on the ironic imitation of literary fads’ (Bersier, 1997: 34). stage. It is however possible that the semblance No wonder then that it is also considered as a may occur as a result of coincidence or exposure form of ridicule (Hutcheon, 2000: xii), especially to an earlier work. Nonetheless, Shakespeare when the original text, also known as the ‘pre- popularised the fool tradition by turning it into text’ or ‘parodied text’ (Bohn, 1997) or precursor an institution in Elizabethan drama unlike any text is seriously cannibalized (Hofele, 1997: 71- other writers or men of theatre of that period (cf. 72; Hutcheon, 2000: 8). All these arguments Vidaek 1996: 189). A number of writers, like Robert suggest that parody ‘is a form of imitation . Greene, who introduced the role of the fool into characterized . inversion’ (Hutcheon, p. 6). But their works could not do much to advance the this is just a side of a coin. figure beyond the stereotype of ‘the jesting Vices The etymological root of the word, parody, of the moral interludes’ (Goldsmith, p.29). derived from the Greek word parodia, reveals that One of the foremost Yoruba playwrights, it transcends mere imitation as the arguments Adebayo Faleti, who was the first to introduce above tend to portend. According to Hutcheon , the fool genre into Yoruba written plays, informed many theorists of parody have always taken me in a personal interview that his exposure to cognizance of one semantic angle of the Greek Shakespearean texts at the University of Ibadan word para , ‘counter’/ ‘contrast’, while they ignore propelled him to create this absurd character (i.e. the second meaning, ‘beside’ (p. 32). She further the fool) . He later found the Alebiosu Theatre draws our attention to some sort of mutual Group, which he asked Olanrewaju. Adepoju. to relationship between the original text which she lead, as he was in the government service then. calls ‘the background text’ and ‘the incorporating While Faleti was away on a trip, Adepoju. also work’. She therefore argues that what has taken produced a play of his own, Ládépò Omo. Àdánwò place is not sheer imitation of the background which parallels Faleti’s Ìdààmú Páàdi Minkáilu´ ´ . text but ‘trans-contextualization’ (p. 34). Her basis Incidentally, the two texts are published by the of argument is that the parodist brings his or her same publisher – Onibonoje. Press and Book artistic ingenuity to bear on the reworked text; Industries, based in Ìbàdàn. Therefore, Faleti could hence she concludes, ‘for whatever reason the not take any legal action. We may also recall here artist’s parodic incorporation and ironic “trans- that Robert Greene too alleged William contextualization” or inversion has brought about Shakespeare of plagiarism which degenerated to something new in its bitextual synthesis’(p. verbal attack on Shakespeare in c.1592 (Wells, 35).This is the reason why Alan Singer takes 1998: 63-64; cf. Richmond, 2003: 210-211). The parody to be a form of ‘re-thinking’ (cited in point here is that writers tend to emulate a popular Sanford,1997: 192), and it has to be considered as PARODY OF THE SHAKESPEAREAN FOOL TRADITION IN AN AFRICAN SOCIETY 37 ‘metafiction’ (Rem, 1997: 157), that is , text within prologue, thus providing the audience with a text. However, it has to be stressed that the background information as to the plot of the play. ironic trans-contextualization can manifest at He actively participates in the play as he interacts different levels of artistic parody- style or form, with several characters that have one thing or linguistic, plot, characterization, (cf. Muller, 1997: the other to do in the palace. This is contrary to 138; Schneider, 1997: 234). Shakespearean tradition where you find ‘Less pervasive choric figures’ as exemplified in either ADAPTATION OF THE SHAKESPEAR’S Rumour who opens Henry IV, Part 2, or Time FOOL TRADITION IN WRITTEN TEXTS who throws open the door in Act 4 of Winter’s Tale (Richmond, 2002: 100).
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