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Edufa
Edufa's obsession with maintaining his position of privilege leads him to barter his wife's life against loss of prestige.
- GenresPlays
Paperback
First published January 1, 1967
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About the author
Efua Sutherland
9 books72 followersEfua Theodora Sutherland (27 June 1924—2 January 1996) was a Ghanaian playwright, director, children's author, poet and dramatist. Her best-known works include Foriwa (1962), Edufa (1967), and The Marriage of Anansewa (1975). She founded the Ghana Drama Studio, the Ghana Society of Writers, the Ghana Experimental Theatre, and a community project called the Kodzidan (Story House). She was an influential figure in the establishment of modern Ghanaian theatre, and helped to establish the study of African performance traditions at university level.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 18, 2015
The drama is set in Africa,specifically Ghana.The main character is Edufa.He was very rich and wants to live for long despite the warnings from the soothsayer.He tried to over turned his death to anyone who jokingly accepts to die for him with a charm.Unluckily, his wife, not knowing what was entailed in the charm declared to die for the husband.In the end ,the wife died for him, because of her love for the husband and the drama ends in a tragic, and very sad way...
August 4, 2020
I will review this story on the basis that it begins and ends as an African tragedy.
As Africans, we hold dear our cultural beliefs and values. These cultural beliefs and practices make us unique and sets us apart from other races. In general, culture is described as the way of life of a group of people.
In the drama Edufa, the main character Edufa, in his quest to escape his death as predicted by the diviner, hides the truth from his wife Ampomah and manipulates her into pledging her love for him. He doesn't tell her the consequences of her pledge. Hence, making her a substitute for his death. When Ampomah falls gravely ill, the entire household lie to the Chorus that she is well and is only sleeping in her room. Edufa, again refuses to admit the truth to his father Kankam when he accuses him of being the cause of Ampomah's illness. Africans hold truth as an important integral part of their being. This is why during the outdooring of a new born baby, water and local gin are dropped on the baby's tongue to admonish him/her to be truthful at all times. So, Edufa's refusal to be truthful makes this literary work an African tragedy.
Africans put a lot of unnecessary pressure on wives to at all times prove their love for their husbands. This is the reason why Ampomah naively promises to die for her coward of a husband. She as an African wife has no choice other than to prove her love when her husband cunningly asks the entire household who loves him enough to to die for him. Imagine what would have happened if she had kept mute or had not promised to die for him. She would have been insulted, branded a witch or even an opportunist. This undue pressure on African wives drives home the point that the story is an African tragedy.
Another African tragedy in the drama is our belief in diviners, spirits and witchcraft. If Edufa had not consulted a diviner he wouldn't have been aware of his impending death and his wife would have also been spared the ordeal she passes through. In my opinion, the diviner's role isn't relevant because everyone would die even including him. This African animalistic world view casts a dark spot on us.
Again, the evident of an African tragedy in the story is Edufa's disrespectful attitude towards his own father. When Kankam confronts his son, Edufa, about his wife's illness, he insults his father and even accuses him of being envious of him and being the enemy.
Obviously, the African society frowns on children disrespecting their parents.
As Africans, we hold dear our cultural beliefs and values. These cultural beliefs and practices make us unique and sets us apart from other races. In general, culture is described as the way of life of a group of people.
In the drama Edufa, the main character Edufa, in his quest to escape his death as predicted by the diviner, hides the truth from his wife Ampomah and manipulates her into pledging her love for him. He doesn't tell her the consequences of her pledge. Hence, making her a substitute for his death. When Ampomah falls gravely ill, the entire household lie to the Chorus that she is well and is only sleeping in her room. Edufa, again refuses to admit the truth to his father Kankam when he accuses him of being the cause of Ampomah's illness. Africans hold truth as an important integral part of their being. This is why during the outdooring of a new born baby, water and local gin are dropped on the baby's tongue to admonish him/her to be truthful at all times. So, Edufa's refusal to be truthful makes this literary work an African tragedy.
Africans put a lot of unnecessary pressure on wives to at all times prove their love for their husbands. This is the reason why Ampomah naively promises to die for her coward of a husband. She as an African wife has no choice other than to prove her love when her husband cunningly asks the entire household who loves him enough to to die for him. Imagine what would have happened if she had kept mute or had not promised to die for him. She would have been insulted, branded a witch or even an opportunist. This undue pressure on African wives drives home the point that the story is an African tragedy.
Another African tragedy in the drama is our belief in diviners, spirits and witchcraft. If Edufa had not consulted a diviner he wouldn't have been aware of his impending death and his wife would have also been spared the ordeal she passes through. In my opinion, the diviner's role isn't relevant because everyone would die even including him. This African animalistic world view casts a dark spot on us.
Again, the evident of an African tragedy in the story is Edufa's disrespectful attitude towards his own father. When Kankam confronts his son, Edufa, about his wife's illness, he insults his father and even accuses him of being envious of him and being the enemy.
Obviously, the African society frowns on children disrespecting their parents.
June 21, 2016
This play is said to be a Ghanaian version of Euripides’ "Alcestis", but I don't think it sufficiently delves into the consequences of one man's quest to conquer death. In addition, while the presence of a chorus obviously stems from Greek plays, I don't know enough about Ghanaian culture to appreciate its influences in this play.
May 22, 2021
~Book Review ~ Edufa by Efua T.Sutherland
“I love you enough to die for you”
This play is a classical adaptation of the Greek mythology Euripides Alcestis. Sutherland adapts her own version of the myth to the Ghanaian culture and dramatizes how a wife’s irresponsible display of love for her husband results in her own tragic death.
Edufa an affluent man on a quest to sustain his wealth seeks spiritual fortification from a diviner. The diviner tells him that death is knocking on his door and the only way to avert his fate is to find someone willing to die in his stead. Edufa goes home and summons his household and cunning asked, “who loves him enough to die for me?”, Unknown to Ampomaa his wife, Edufa concealed a charm on his body whiles she innocently promised to die for him.
In the Ghanaian society, there is a lot of unnecessary pressure put on women in marriages. Imagine if Ampoma had not responded to her husband’s cunning question to the household. She would have been called all sought of names. In this play, Sutherland discourages all forms of idealism of marriage and raises pertinent questions about the role of a wife or mother in marriage.
Also, she explores love, arranged marriage, superstition, witchcraft, Gender politics, cultural issues and the implications of rushed decisions.
To even think anyone would love you enough to die for you is naively dangerous. Sutherland’s Edufa leans on the Alcestis myth to teach morals and values on how one must guard his/her life.
I encourage everyone to read this book. It’s fun, light, and very short.
“I love you enough to die for you”
This play is a classical adaptation of the Greek mythology Euripides Alcestis. Sutherland adapts her own version of the myth to the Ghanaian culture and dramatizes how a wife’s irresponsible display of love for her husband results in her own tragic death.
Edufa an affluent man on a quest to sustain his wealth seeks spiritual fortification from a diviner. The diviner tells him that death is knocking on his door and the only way to avert his fate is to find someone willing to die in his stead. Edufa goes home and summons his household and cunning asked, “who loves him enough to die for me?”, Unknown to Ampomaa his wife, Edufa concealed a charm on his body whiles she innocently promised to die for him.
In the Ghanaian society, there is a lot of unnecessary pressure put on women in marriages. Imagine if Ampoma had not responded to her husband’s cunning question to the household. She would have been called all sought of names. In this play, Sutherland discourages all forms of idealism of marriage and raises pertinent questions about the role of a wife or mother in marriage.
Also, she explores love, arranged marriage, superstition, witchcraft, Gender politics, cultural issues and the implications of rushed decisions.
To even think anyone would love you enough to die for you is naively dangerous. Sutherland’s Edufa leans on the Alcestis myth to teach morals and values on how one must guard his/her life.
I encourage everyone to read this book. It’s fun, light, and very short.
October 28, 2015
When I first read this drama as a kid it rather scared the pants off me! My critical faculties were meagre or even non-existent then. The idea of a woman already dead traipsing around and unleashing verses of pathos was unnerving... But I read the book again as an adult and yes it's a fine work. Still haunting, plethora of women's perspectives - powerful.
October 14, 2015
Haunting drama; true to African roots though...
June 1, 2019
Superb
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2020
Very interesting I love it keep it up
May 25, 2021
An amazing read, storyline keeps you on the edge thinking about what happens next to the power obsessed Edufa and his ill fated wife Ampoma
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 18, 2021
Very interesting story...
September 4, 2021
Amazing
April 30, 2022
How can I start reading this book
Want to read
July 16, 2022Why is the story not showing
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August 14, 2025
Oh, how sad this play made me feel!
Love, pride, greed, madness, tragedy
Love, pride, greed, madness, tragedy
October 26, 2024
The novel edufa is an African tragedy written by Efua Sutherland,in the drama edufa the main character edufa in his quest to escape a predicted death by a diviner,hides the truth from Ampomah his wife and manipulates her into vouching for her love for him.He desired from telling her the repercussions of her pledge thus making her a replacement for his death.When Ampomah falls ill the entire household held onto the believe that she is well but only sleeping in her room.Edufa vehemently refused to admit to the truth to kankam his father when he accused him of having a hand in Ampomahs death.Edufas refusal to be truthful makes the novel an African tragedy as well as the pressure on African wives by their husbands.The underlying themes of the novel are;theme of divinition and consultation,theme of truthfulness,theme of trickery and deceit,theme of love and loyalty,the theme of disrespect.
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February 23, 2019Edufa
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews