Play Title: The Silence of Obara: A King's Deceit
Dramatis Personae
OBA RILWAN: King of the prosperous coastal city-state of Ilaje.
ALAKE: Oba Rilwan's ambitious and secretive wife, the Queen.
ADEWUNMI: A trusted, but simple Babaláwo.
PRINCE KOLAPO: The young heir to the throne, noble and trusting.
CHIEF LARINDE: A loyal council member, suspicious of the Queen.
OLORUNTELE: A vengeful, banished former courtier.
GUARDS, COURTIERS, FISHERMEN.
Act I, Scene I
Setting: The palace docks of Ilaje, overlooking the sea. Sunset. The sound of waves is constant.
Enter OBA RILWAN and CHIEF LARINDE.
OBA RILWAN
The sea provides an endless bounty.
The ships are swift, and the trade routes are safe and strong.
Ilaje prospers, but a silence hangs
Upon the court, a quiet, cautious air.
What whispers do the fishermen bring back?
CHIEF LARINDE
Good whispers, mostly, of a bountiful catch.
But some speak of the Odu cast last week
By Adewunmi, the humble Babaláwo.
They say the sign of Obara appeared,
A warning wrapped in silence and deceit.
"The one who speaks no evil, fears no evil tongue,"
But also warns that silence hides the greatest lies.
OBA RILWAN
(Scoffing gently)
Silence? What lies could thrive in Rilwan's court?
The court rules with openness and an honest heart.
Adewunmi sees shadows where there are none.
He is a simple man, more used to fish
Than politics of state.
CHIEF LARINDE
Perhaps, the liege. But the people fear the sign.
They say the Odu warns of a serpent
Within the palace, coiled and set to strike.
The speaker prays you, give it heedful ear.
Consult with Adewunmi, hear the full report.
Enter ALAKE, the Queen, elegant and poised.
ALAKE
My Lord, you speak of serpents and of fear?
What nonsense fills the air this eve?
The court prepares a feast to celebrate
The growing wealth, peace, and strong alliances.
Let joy prevail, not superstitions dark.
OBA RILWAN
(Smiling at his wife)
My dear Alake, ever the voice of light.
Larinde frets o'er Adewunmi's Odu.
He speaks of Obara, of silence and deceit.
ALAKE
(Her smile freezing slightly, eyes narrowing just a moment, then relaxing)
Obara? Ah, a challenging sign, indeed.
It calls for honest counsel, careful thought.
Perhaps the Babaláwo meant the court must speak less,
And listen more, to wisdom of the gods,
Not idle gossip from the restless crowds.
(To Larinde, with a sharp edge)
Is that not so, Chief Larinde? Less talk, more service?
CHIEF LARINDE
(Bowing stiffly, uncomfortable)
The speaker seeks but truth, my Queen. The Odu holds
More meaning than simple admonition for loose tongues.
It speaks of consequence for hidden acts.
ALAKE
Hidden acts? Your mind runs wild with fancy.
Come, my Lord, the music starts, the wine flows free.
Leave Larinde to his shadows and his fears.
Oba Rilwan laughs and walks off with Alake, his arm around her. Larinde watches them go, his expression troubled.
CHIEF LARINDE (Aside)
The Queen’s eyes held a darkness just now, a flash
Of anger quickly hid behind a smile.
She fears the Odu, fears the truth revealed.
The serpent coils within the palace walls,
And the King, in blindness, walks into its den.
The speaker must seek out Adewunmi, learn more
Of what that silence truly means for Ilaje.
The people's fate rests on this hidden truth.
He exits, deep in thought.
Act I, Scene II
Setting: A small, humble shrine near the docks. Adewunmi is consulting his Ikin (divining nuts). It is later in the evening.
Enter ADEWUNMI and OLORUNTELE, a haggard, vengeful man.
OLORUNTELE
You cast the nuts again, old Adewunmi?
Do the gods still speak in riddles to a court
That locks its ears to truth? The speaker heard
That Obara appeared, the sign of hidden lies.
ADEWUNMI
Be silent, Oloruntele. You are banished hence.
Your bitterness will poison even this pure shrine.
You seek revenge upon the King who cast you out.
OLORUNTELE
He cast me out for a lie planted by the Queen!
She spoke of theft, of treachery, which was not true!
She whispered poison in the King's weak ear,
And he believed her, banished me from home!
The speaker seeks not revenge, but simple justice.
Does the Odu speak of her deceit?
ADEWUNMI
The Odu speaks of lies that grow in silence,
Of truth that struggles to find air and light.
It warns the King that those closest to him
Shall plant the seeds of his own bitter end.
The speaker sees the Queen, her ambition knows no bounds.
She seeks the throne for her own kin, not the King's true heir.
Prince Kolapo’s life is in danger.
OLORUNTELE
Prince Kolapo? The noble boy?
Alake has her own son from a previous bond,
A cruel boy, much like his mother's heart.
She wants him as the heir! The speaker knows her mind!
ADEWUNMI
The speaker knows it too, through Ifá's sight.
But I am sworn to serve the King, to warn him true.
He laughs at the speaker, calls the speaker simple.
How can the speaker make the King see the serpent coiled
Within his own bedchamber, ere it strikes
Against his son, the rightful, gentle heir?
The Odu demands truth must break the silence,
But how? The King will not believe.
OLORUNTELE
Then let me speak! The speaker has no oath to him.
The speaker will reveal the Queen for what she is!
The speaker will ensure her lies are known to all!
ADEWUNMI
No, Oloruntele! Your hate will ruin the cause.
The King will see it as a banished man's revenge,
Not righteous truth. The court must be subtle, wise,
And use the Odu’s strength to guide our hand.
Obara requires careful navigation.
The speaker must expose her without seeming force.
The speaker has a plan, born of the spirits' aid.
Adewunmi stares intently into his divining tray, a determined look upon his face. Oloruntele watches him, vengeful but hopeful.
(The play continues with the unfolding plot, the Queen’s subtle deceptions, the attempts by the good characters to expose her using the Oracle's guidance, and the tragic consequences of a king choosing to ignore the truth until it is too late
Play Title: The Weight of the Odu: A Tragedy in Five Acts
Style Note: Written in blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter) with occasional prose for lower-status characters, mirroring Shakespearean dramatic conventions.
Dramatis Personae
OBA ADEWALE: King of the Yoruba city-state of Orile, a man of noble intent burdened by a hidden past.
IYALAWO KOFOWOROLA: A respected Ifá Priestess, a seer and counselor to the court.
PRINCE OLADIPO: Adewale’s favored son, heir to the throne.
BABA FAKUNLE: A blind, revered Babaláwo (Ifá Priest), much like the seer Teiresias in Greek tragedy.
CHIEF OGUNDIPE: A loyal but pragmatic elder of the council.
MESSENGER: A minor court official.
GUARDS, ATTENDANTS, CHIEFS.
Act I, Scene I
Setting: The royal courtyard of the Palace in Orile. A sacred divination tray (Opon Ifá) is visible. Dawn is breaking.
Enter OBA ADEWALE, IYALAWO KOFOWOROLA, and CHIEF OGUNDIPE.
OBA ADEWALE
Good morrow, wise Iyalowo, and Chief Ogundipe,
The sun doth rise, yet darkness haunts my sleep.
This land, Orile, suffers 'neath a curse,
The harvest fails, our streams run dry with loss.
What hidden anger stirs the great Orishas?
We've fasted, prayed, made sacrifice of beast,
Yet peace and plenty hold themselves aloof.
I pray you, speak, what counsel does Ifá grant?
IYALAWO KOFOWOROLA
My liege, the sacred palm nuts have been cast,
The Odu speaks, a grave and solemn tale.
The pattern forms the sign of Ogbe-Ate,
A path to blessed fortune, yet fraught with peril.
It speaks of one who seeks what is not his,
A stolen destiny, a birthright claimed in ignorance.
The cure lies not in wealth of goat or yam,
But in the cleansing of a hidden sin,
A truth long buried, meant for honest air.
CHIEF OGUNDIPE
(Aside, to Oba Adewale)
A hidden sin, my Lord? What portents these?
Your reign hath been most righteous, just, and fair.
Perhaps the Priestess speaks in metaphor?
OBA ADEWALE
(To Ogundipe)
No metaphor for hunger, good my Chief.
(To Iyalowo)
Speak plain, Iyalowo, I have no mind for riddles.
Whose sin is this that blights my people's lives?
IYALAWO KOFOWOROLA
The Oracle demands a truth unveiled,
A secret known but to the stars and earth,
And to the blind seer, Baba Fakunle, who knows all the hidden problems.
He waits without, the wisdom of the gods,
To trace the lineage of this foul mischance.
Shall he be bid to enter and to speak?
OBA ADEWALE
Bring him forth, though his words be sharp as swords.
We seek the light, whate'er the shadow hides.
Enter BABA FAKUNLE, led by a small attendant. His eyes are covered with a cloth.
BABA FAKUNLE
(His voice resonant)
Where justice fails, there Orunmila speaks.
The air is thick with consequence and fate,
A king sits on a seat not forged for him,
A life built on the ruin of another.
OBA ADEWALE
Bold words, old man! Beware thy tongue's loose wagging.
I am the rightful King, by birth and crown!
What foul impostor claims my lawful throne?
BABA FAKUNLE
Not foul impostor in the common sense,
But one who lives a lie without his ken.
The past, like smoke, doth rise to cloud the sun,
And all Orile suffers for the truth suppressed.
The very ground on which thy palace stands
Doth cry out for the rightful heir's return.
OBA ADEWALE
By heaven's grace, thou dost provoke my wrath!
Name the man, or seal thy lips forever.
BABA FAKUNLE
The man thou seek'st, the cause of all this woe,
Doth stand before me, clad in kingly robes.
CHIEF OGUNDIPE
(Gasps in disbelief, murmuring spreads among the attendants)
Hark to the madness! Seize the frantic seer!
His blindness hath infected his poor mind!
BABA FAKUNLE
Unbind me, fool! My eyes see more than yours!
The child that was forsaken long ago,
Whose father's blood upon the path was spilled,
Whose mother wailed unto the silent moon,
That child is now the King, Oba Adewale!
OBA ADEWALE
(Stunned, his hand on his sword hilt)
Lies! Damned lies! My father was a king,
I am his son, his lineage pure and true!
BABA FAKUNLE
Consult the Oracle again, proud King.
The signs all point towards the Oturupon-Owonrin.
Ifá declares: "Whatever we do not find solution to, Let us ask Ikin."
Your lineage is of Orile, yes, but not of kings.
Thou art the child of prophecy, a tale
Of fate fulfilled, despite man's best attempt
To change the stars and mock the gods' decree.
To lift the curse, the rightful heir must rise,
Or thou must yield, and seek a humble life.
The scene ends with Oba Adewale standing frozen, the weight of the prophecy upon him as the court looks on in shock.
Act I, Scene II
Setting: A secluded chamber within the palace, dimly lit.
Enter OBA ADEWALE and CHIEF OGUNDIPE. The Oba paces frantically.
OBA ADEWALE
The blind man's words burn within the ear,
Like coals of fire upon a guilty soul.
But the speaker is not guilty! The father raised him well,
He taught governance, the weight of crown.
He swore the speaker's blood was pure, the claim assured!
Was the father a liar? A deceiver of his son?
CHIEF OGUNDIPE
My Lord, the seer is old, his wits astray.
We must not let these baseless, frantic claims
Undermine the kingdom's trust in you.
The people starve; their minds seek easy blame.
OBA ADEWALE
But what if truth lies buried in his rage?
The father, when he lay upon his deathbed,
Did clutch the speaker's hand with such a desperate grip,
And whispered words that were born of fever:
"The secret, Wale... bear the weight of it...
Orile's future... stained with my offence..."
The speaker thought it ravings then, but now, a truth
Doth chill the very marrow with its bite.
Enter PRINCE OLADIPO.
PRINCE OLADIPO
My father, you are troubled. Word has spread
Of Baba Fakunle's wild accusation.
The court is buzzing, thick with rumour's sting.
Who is this man, what ancestry doth he claim?
OBA ADEWALE
(Turning away, his voice strained)
A man of air, my son, a ghost of past
Misdeeds that haunt the living present day.
Go, tend the people, show them steadfast strength.
Their Prince must be a pillar in this storm.
PRINCE OLADIPO
A pillar I shall be, but not in blindness.
If the reign is questioned by the Oracle,
Then we must face the truth with kingly might.
Send for the seer again. I'll question him.
My claim shall stand, as pure as morning dew!
OBA ADEWALE
No! Leave it be! Some truths are best left hid.
PRINCE OLADIPO
(Confused, stepping back)
Hid? My liege, your words are most opaque.
Does this old man speak truth of some offence
Committed by my grandsire long ago?
We must know all, to cleanse the royal line.
OBA ADEWALE
(Shouting, then softening)
We know enough! Go, tend your duties, Dipo.
The palace guard needs strengthening at the gates.
There is unease, a murmur in the crowds.
Ensure the peace, by force if need demands.
Prince Oladipo bows stiffly and exits, troubled.
CHIEF OGUNDIPE
He is a man of honour, your good son.
He seeks the truth, as all good leaders should.
If this seer speaks of a true offense,
We must address it, for Orile's sake.
The Oracle of Ifá cannot be ignored;
To slight the Odu is to court disaster.
OBA ADEWALE
Then the speaker must seek the full truth from the source.
The blind seer must tell the speaker all he knows.
But not in court, not where all ears can hear.
In secret, 'neath the cover of the night.
If what he says is true, then all is lost.
The speaker's kingdom, his son's future, all undone
By sins committed ere the speaker drew first breath.
Oh, heavy burden of inherited fault!
Send for the seer. Tell him the King demands
A private audience, when the moon is high.
They exit in haste.
Act I, Scene III
Setting: A market square in Orile. People are gathering, some looking hungry and distressed. A MESSENGER from the court tries to address them.
Enter several CITIZENS, arguing among themselves. Enter MESSENGER.
FIRST CITIZEN (Prose)
I tell you, the gods are angry! Three goats died this morn, all healthy yesterday. There’s no water in the south side of the village.
SECOND CITIZEN (Prose)
And did you hear what that blind man said in the court? That the King isn't the true King? A curse upon the palace!
THIRD CITIZEN (Prose)
Aye, I heard it. Ifá does not lie. The King hides a secret. While he feasts, we starve.
MESSENGER (Prose)
Good people, quiet! Hearken to the King’s proclamation! His Grace, Oba Adewale, sends word of new grain from the eastern stores, to be distributed fairly at sundown! Patience, good people, patience!
FIRST CITIZEN (Prose)
Grain? A few measures when our fields are dust? He thinks to buy our loyalty with scraps?
SECOND CITIZEN (Prose)
If he be not the rightful king, then his gifts are worthless. The Oracle spoke truth! We need a true leader, one blessed by the Orishas.
THIRD CITIZEN (Prose)
Treasonous talk! Beware the guards!
Guards enter the square, dispersing the crowd. The citizens grumble and scatter.
MESSENGER (To himself, in verse)
The seeds of doubt are sown in barren ground,
And quick to sprout is discontent and fear.
If kings lose favour with the gods above,
The common man soon questions their command.
This fragile peace shall break ere morning comes.
He exits, the square now empty.
(The play would continue with Oba Adewale's secret meeting with Baba Fakunle, revealing the full story of the past transgression, followed by the conflicts that arise as this truth becomes public knowledge, leading inevitably to tragedy as the characters wrestle with destiny, honor, and the powerful judgments of the Ifá Oracle.)
Act II, Scene I
Setting: The secluded chamber within the palace, much later that night. A single oil lamp burns low.
Enter OBA ADEWALE and BABA FAKUNLE, led by his attendant, who then withdraws.
OBA ADEWALE
The people are alone. The walls themselves have ears
In times of trouble. Speak, then, ancient seer,
Unburden the speaker of this most dreadful weight.
What history stains the honour of the speaker's house?
BABA FAKUNLE
The truth is costly, King. Are you prepared
To pay the price in full, with dignity?
The Oracle, through Irete-Meji, commands
That truth must light the darkness, howe'er fierce the flame.
OBA ADEWALE
Speak! The speaker is prepared. The land requires it.
BABA FAKUNLE
Then listen well to a tale of jealous hearts
And power seized by hands not meant to hold it.
Thy father, King, was a man of ambition, swift to act.
He had a brother, elder, wiser, just,
Whose birthright was the throne on which you sit now.
This brother, Olumide, loved the land,
And was beloved by all, by commoner and chief.
But thy sire hungered for the crown's bright gleam.
OBA ADEWALE
My uncle, Olumide? The speaker scarce recalls his face.
He vanished when the speaker was a boy.
They said a lion took him in the hunt.
BABA FAKUNLE
No lion's claw did end good Olumide's life,
But human malice, steeped in deepest night.
Thy father, in his quest for power absolute,
Did plot his brother's death, a treacherous act.
He cast the Odu, seeking Ifá’s will,
And Osa-Meji foretold a kingly fate
For Olumide’s son, whose mother was with child.
OBA ADEWALE
(A cold dread seizing him)
A son? My cousin lives?
BABA FAKUNLE
The father's treachery went deeper still.
He killed his brother, stole the crown by force,
And banished Olumide's pregnant wife,
A silent banishment to distant shores.
He told the world the line was clean and clear,
And raised his own son, thee, to wear the crown.
The Oracle demands the rightful heir,
The son of Olumide, lost but living still.
OBA ADEWALE
(Reeling, gripping the edge of a table)
This cannot be! The speaker's life, a gilded lie?
The speaker's father, murderer? A usurper's son?
Then all the speaker's reign, all that the speaker thought was just,
Is built on sand and cemented with blood.
Where is this cousin? Name the man, the speaker prays!
BABA FAKUNLE
Ah, there the Odu speaks in riddles once again.
He lives within Orile, though he knows it not.
Raised by a humble farmer, far from courtly life,
He walks among the people, veiled by fate.
The sign of Oyeku-Meji warns: "Death is near for the one who does not heed the warning."
The gods demand that you step aside,
And find the true king, ere the kingdom falls.
OBA ADEWALE
(His voice a whisper)
Step aside? Yield the speaker's throne, the speaker's name, the speaker's honour?
And tell the speaker's son he is no prince at all?
The people will not stand for such a turn!
Chaos will reign, blood will flow in the streets!
The speaker must not do this, cannot bear it!
BABA FAKUNLE
The gods care not for chaos of the state,
They care for justice and the truth unveiled.
Deny the Odu, and a greater chaos comes,
A blight upon the land that none can stop.
Ifá has spoken. The choice, King, is yours.
Baba Fakunle turns and slowly exits the chamber. Oba Adewale stands alone, the lamp flickering on his tormented face.
Act II, Scene II
Setting: A simple farmstead on the outskirts of Orile. Morning.
Enter the rightful heir (currently known as IDOWU, a farmer) and his adoptive father, AGED FARMER. They are mending a fence.
IDOWU (Prose, then verse)
The soil is dry, good father. Not a drop
Of rain has graced our fields in near a month.
The market gossip speaks of royal strife,
And curses placed upon the King's own house.
AGED FARMER (Prose)
Aye, the gods are angry. But the speaker must work, regardless of the palace woes. Put the speaker's back to it, boy. The speaker have enough trouble of the speaker's own.
IDOWU (Switching to verse, as his noble nature surfaces)
The speaker heard the blind seer, Baba Fakunle,
Did challenge the King’s claim, a mighty shock.
He speaks of a lost heir, a stolen life.
Doth it not stir a wonder in your breast?
AGED FARMER
(Startled, dropping his tool)
What talk is this? A wonder? Nay, just idle chat.
Stick to your farming, Idowu, ’tis your lot.
IDOWU
But father, you found the speaker, did you not?
Nigh on twenty years ago, near the river's bend?
You always said the speaker's parents were lost to fever,
But the speaker feels a different blood within his veins,
A restlessness, a soul that yearns for more
Than tilling earth and chasing stubborn goats.
Who am the speaker, truly? Tell the speaker, the speaker demands it!
AGED FARMER
(Wringing his hands, fearful)
Press the speaker not, my son, for the speaker is bound by oath!
An oath to your true mother, ere she died,
That none should know your lineage, for your safety!
The King, his father—nay, the one who ruled then—
Did threaten all who harboured the speaker with death.
IDOWU
(A realization dawning)
Then it is true! The blood of kings runs in these hands!
The Oracle spoke of the speaker, of Olumide's son!
The land is cursed because the speaker lives in shade!
The speaker must go to the palace, make his claim,
Restore the balance, lift the heavy curse!
AGED FARMER
(Clutching Idowu's arm)
No, wait! The King, Adewale, is a good man now,
Though his father sinned. He means no harm to you.
Stay here in safety, let the storm pass o'er!
IDOWU
Safety? Whilst Orile starves and justice weeps?
The speaker is no coward. The speaker's fate calls out!
The Odu demands the truth be brought to light.
The speaker must fulfil his destiny,
Or live a life of shame, a hidden man.
Idowu breaks free and runs off toward the city. The Aged Farmer wails in despair.
(The act ends with the two heirs, Oba Adewale and Idowu, set on a collision course, both driven by a sense of duty and the inescapable weight of the Ifá prophecy.)
Act III, Scene I
Setting: The royal throne room in the Palace of Orile. It is a day later. The atmosphere is tense.
Enter OBA ADEWALE, CHIEF OGUNDIPE, IYALAWO KOFOWOROLA, and several other Chiefs and Guards. They are awaiting news.
OBA ADEWALE
Has the messenger returned from the farmlands?
Did he find the man the speaker seeks? Idowu,
The son of Olumide, the true-born heir.
CHIEF OGUNDIPE
He has, my liege. But brings ill tidings back.
The farmer, Agbo, swears the young man left
In haste this morn, towards the city gates,
His head filled up with notions of his birth,
Resolved to claim his right and face the speaker.
He knows the truth, my Lord. The word is out.
OBA ADEWALE
(A pained sigh)
Then the speaker's private sorrow is the public’s fare.
The die is cast. What justice does the speaker serve?
To hold the crown and spill this cousin's blood,
Or yield the throne and plunge the state in chaos?
IYALAWO KOFOWOROLA
The Odu of Ifá, Ogunda-Meji, commands:
"He who knows the law and keeps it not,
Shall be consumed by fire and by the flood."
The gods favor the truth, not easy peace.
The balance must be set right, whate'er the cost.
OBA ADEWALE
The cost is all the speaker's life has built!
The speaker's son, young Dipo, is a prince of worth,
A scholar and a warrior, fit to rule.
This farmer-cousin, rough and unrefined,
Shall bring Orile to its knees, for lack of skill.
Is that the gods' desire? A kingdom wrecked?
A loud commotion is heard from the courtyard.
GUARD (Off-stage)
Stay back! You cannot enter the King's court!
IDOWU (Off-stage, his voice clear and strong)
The speaker comes with justice on his side,
With Ifá's blessing and the truth for shield!
Stand not between the speaker and his fate!
Enter IDOWU, dressed in simple farming clothes but carrying himself with an innate nobility. He is flanked by two guards who try to restrain him.
OBA ADEWALE
(To the guards)
Unhand him. Let him speak.
(To Idowu, his voice trembling slightly)
So, cousin, we meet at last, in sorrow's court.
You are Idowu, son of Olumide the Just.
IDOWU
(Bowing low, but with dignity)
The speaker is, my Lord, the speaker bears that name,
Though raised in shade and ignorance of his line.
The land suffers for the speaker's stolen right.
The Oracle has spoken, the curse is known.
The speaker asks you now, before these noble chiefs,
Will you restore the balance, as the Odu bids?
Will you step down, and grant the speaker his true place?
OBA ADEWALE
A bold request from one whose hands hold soil,
Not scepter. You know not the weight of crown,
The endless council, the diplomacy with foes,
The burden of a thousand lives in hand.
My son, Prince Oladipo, is prepared,
He has been trained in statecraft all his days.
The speaker offers you wealth, a noble rank,
A house of high esteem, a place in court.
Forsake this claim, for Orile's fragile peace.
CHIEF OGUNDIPE
(Whispering to Oba Adewale)
A generous offer, King. It might appease his claim.
IDOWU
(Shaking his head)
The speaker seeks no wealth, no rank that is not his by birth.
The speaker seeks but justice for his father's ghost,
And healing for this land that groans in pain.
Your rule, though perhaps well-meant, is founded on a sin.
The gods reject the speaker's reign, the speaker hears their voice.
Ifá demands the rightful heir take up the load.
The speaker will not be bought with gold or land.
The speaker must be King.
Enter PRINCE OLADIPO, who has been watching from the shadows, his face a mask of anger and disbelief.
PRINCE OLADIPO
(Drawing his sword slightly)
What arrogance is this? A common farmer
Usurping my father's grace, and my own future!
You speak of gods and justice, yet you bring
Sedition to the palace gates! Be gone,
Ere the speaker has you
