Religious hypocrisy in The Swamp Dwellers

As a playwright, Wole Soyinka concerns himself with themes that assess topical issues in a post oil boom Nigeria hence his play, The Swamp Dwellers is almost far removed from the themes of colonial rule and the culture clash characteristic of most plays. The play which was staged by the National Troupe/National Theatre and directed by Nick Monu, an alumnus of the American University Washington D.C and the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts London, assesses the lives of the inhabitants of swamps.

The Swamp Dwellers takes a look at the Nigerian society, progressively moving towards the path of retrogression, degeneration, corruption and moral decadence. This is a clear manifestation of the Nigerian society as a class society with all the contradictions and problems inherent in such society. The audience is confronted with power and its associated arrogance by the elites in a society that lacks the meaning of accountability, corruption, immorality and bribery.

Through the use of such highly poetical diction, bitter tone, irony, juxtaposition, symbolism Soyinka presents graphically and truthfully what he sees and experiences and concludes that Nigeria is a class society where nothing goes well. A society based on violence, injustice, brutality, immorality and a society where greed and corruption of the privileged and the ruling class has created a big gulf between the few wealthy and the majority of the poor masses who dwell by the swap thus creating a society woefully lacking in proper human relationship and brutal economic relations.

The activities revolve around the protagonist, Igwezu, who is the picture of an idyllic son of the swamps. He is loyal to tradition and has performed all the necessary rites required by the deity to ensure a good harvest and a happy life with his family. However, he is confronted by many disasters in the swamp. As the play progresses, the argument between his son and the blind stranger exposes the inadequacy and impotence of the gods who have failed to come to his rescue.

In his short stay in the city to try his hands at making money, his twin brother, Awuchike, seduces his wife, contrary to the spiritual values of the Swamp. Much frustrating, he fails in his commercial enterprise. Igwezu's tragedy is more severe when he returns to the Swamps with the hope of recovering from his despair by harvesting his crops alas, he discovers with utter disappointment and disbelief that the floods had ruined his farm and the beans and the corn had made an everlasting pottage with the mud.

In the play, Soyinka articulates his opinion from the point of view of the masses especially in the ways in which they have been relegated to the background of bourgeoisie in the society. Symbolism in the play is an important avenue for the expression of the playwrights view on the Nigerian society. It is possible that symbolism in a play can be made to serve an aesthetic purpose. This is to say that symbolism can be used for an objective other than the functional use.

Symbolism is used in The Swamp Dwellers for the revolutionary conscientisation of a people who are dwelling in an unjust social arrangement. Symbols, for Soyinka therefore, have to operate in a very dynamic sense. In his perspective, symbol should not just add colour to a work of art but should also play an active role in conscientising a people in the general process of reforming the society. Symbolism in The Swamp Dwellers operates at various levels. One of these levels is the group of symbols that are drawn from nature. Soyinka places emphasis on the symbolism in nature right from the beginning of the play. And the characters talk about how the rains have washed away their farm crops and the blind stranger talks about a severe drought in the north.
The play also exposes religious hypocrisy in the character of the Kadiye. The Kadiye is the religious figure in Wole Soyinka’s The Swamp Dwellers, is masterfully portrayed and is very convincing. Kadiye is portrayed in this drama as the main priest of the swamp dwellers. As a professional priest, he is anything but pious. He portrayed as a corrupt and self-centered person. But Kadiye is not the sole example of his type.

The physical feature of Kadiye indicates that he is more like a villain than to be a religious person. He is fat like a blood-swollen insect. He is a monstrous looking person. He is described as ’a big ,voluminous creature of about fifty.’ He is smooth-faced and his head is shaved clean. He is bare above the waist and at least half of his fingers are ringed. This physical look suggests something ugly about his moral nature. Kadiye is very rich and has a good control over the swamp like a Godfather featured in the western films. Kadiye destroys people wearing the mask of religion.

As the priest of the Serpent, the Kadiye betrays the trust of the villagers by encouraging them to indulge in meaningless cult which are profitable. The villagers give of their harvest to the Kadiye so he can appease the serpent but unknown to them he is feeding fat on their sweat. No one questions where the goods go, because it is almost blasphemous to do so. But it seems that the dramatist is very critical to the Kadiye and Kadiye’s real nature is exposed through the confrontation between the Kadiye and Igwezu.

In all, the play itself is a symbol of the rots in the society. The rottenness of the era which is part of the origins of poverty is presented in more physical terms by the ugly sight of the swamp where the masses dwell.