A STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF LANGUAGE OF SATIRE IN WOLE SOYINKA’S THE TRIAL OF BROTHER JERO

Abstract

Literary works have symbiotic relationship with issues that gain currency in any given society. Wole Soyinka’s The trial of Brother Jero is a satirical play which has received several appreciations both linguistically and literarily. This study is a stylistic analysis of the language of satire. Taking cognizance of earlier works on the subject matter, this work is unique in its scope and depth. Unlike Jonathan Swift’s A modest Proposal and Chaucer’s The Canterbury tales which merely talk about the ills in the England Ireland respectively, and its effect on its citizens. This work describes satire not only by presenting the ills in the contemporary Nigerian society but it makes use of symbolic characters to depict different sectors and classes in the society. Also Wole Soyinka reveals the ills and allows the audience to pass their judgments on the declining state of the society. With this in mind, stylistics features such as irony, hyperbole, sarcasm, invective and repetition will expose the instances of satire and its interpretation. The study will employ the theoretical framework of speech act.