Chameleonic Dramatic Elements of Shakespeare and Osofisan
Abiodun Fakemi ( PhD in English Literature , Keele University )
Abstract
French philosopher Hippolyte Taine once likened a literary work to a fossil shell , suggesting that just as it would be a mistake to examine the animal without considering the shell , it would be a mistake to analyse a literary work without considering the forces that shaped it . This profound premise serves as the springboard for this paper to deconstruct the dramatic elements of Shakespeare ’ s The Merchant of Venice and Femi Osofisan ’ s Love ’ s Unlike Lading . Pastiches , hybridity and dialogism are deployed in analysing these primary texts , and the preliminary stage offers a dive into the form , structure and content of The Merchant as an ‘ intertext ’ developed from earlier hypotexts . In like manner , Osofisan ’ s intertext is explicated to illustrate its hypotext – primarily The Merchant . The paper ’ s projections are to ascertain the extent to which the two playwrights demonstrate their dramaturgical understanding and highlight their ingenuity through pastiches in their works . More importantly , this paper identifies the relevance of Osofisan ’ s adaptation in Love ’ s to the socio-political and economic realities of the 21 st century Nigerian society .
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