The Gods are Not to Blame

Ola Rotimi’s The Gods Are Not to Blame is a powerful and critically acclaimed theatrical re-imagining of Sophocles’ classic Greek tragedy, Oedipus Rex, transplanted to a traditional Yoruba kingdom in Nigeria. The play centers on King Odewale, who, in a desperate bid to avert a chilling prophecy of patricide and incest, unwittingly triggers its complete fulfillment. Blending rich African proverbs, cultural symbolism, and a profound exploration of fate versus human failings, Rotimi creates a timeless tragedy that resonates as both a universal story of human destiny and an allegory of Nigeria’s own ethnic tensions.