The Empowered Women in Ahmed Yerima’s Drama

Abstract

Ahmed Yerima, General Manager, National Theatre of Nigeria and Artistic Director, National Troupe of Nigeria, is one of the few male playwrights who have shown great interest in the female question in contemporary Nigerian society. Most of the female protagonists in Yerima’s plays are strong, assertive, educationally empowered women who have transcended the
private life to the fore of public life where they contribute to the economic and human development of the nation. But what specifically is the economic and social status of these female characters? How does the playwright characterise them? What is his intention for assigning them the roles they play? And what implication do both have for human development? The paper therefore offers a critical analysis of the images
of educationally empowered female characters in the drama of Ahmed Yerima and the methods used by the playwright in representing them so as to determine the implication of the playwright’s style on both the theme of the play and the audience’s response as well as the implication of the theme and technique to human and national development. To achieve
the above objectives, selected plays of Ahmed Yerima-The Wives, The Sisters, Tie Portraits and The Mirror Cracks which lay emphasis on professional female characters are critically analysed to unravel the intricate relationship of subject matter, character and style in determining the over all message of plays and the audience response.