LITERATURE QUESTION #01: "The Characters in drama are the people we live with". Discuss

Literature Question #01:"The Characters in drama are the people we live with". Choose two characters one from each play and validate this notion by depicting how these characters reflect real life situations.

INITIAL RESPONSE

As an example, this question requires students to choose one character like Baroka from The Lion and the Jewel and another character like Remi from Black Hermit.

After introducing the question and elaborating the need of the question, the students have to begin with the play of their choice by exploring and discussing the actions of the particular character and relating them to the real life situations. In this way, the students are going to show how these characters portray real life situations and how they are like the people we live with in our own societies.

Example:

In the play The Lion and the Jewel, the playwright has portrayed character Baroka as a kind of s person we live with as he exposes his personalities as follows:

First, womanization. Baroka is a womaniser who always wants to use women as part of his entertainment. By doing this, he humiliates and oppresses women. Even in our contemporary societies there are people like Baroka who keep on chasing women although they are married. These people risk their lives because they increase the chances of contracting HIV/AIDS.

Second, Selfishness. The playwright has portrayed Baroka as a selfish man who wants everything for himself. He is greedy. Despite the fact that he has wife and other concubines, he still wants to have Sidi for his own. In today’s world, the people of this character are so many. The greedy people always want things for themselves.

Third, irresponsibility.

Fourth, Betrayal.

Lastly, Modernity.

In the play Black Hermit, the playwright has portrayed Remi as the type of the character who is like the people we live with as follows:

African traditions.

Irresponsibility.

Modernity.

Superstition.

Religious beliefs.

Hence, the characters created by the author reflect the actions and the behaviours of the real people we live with. The writers create characters' personalities with a purpose. This author's purpose is what makes the characters live and reflective of the people in the contemporary society like Tanzania. 

WHAT ARE OTHER RESPONSES?

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