Abstract
This study examines the nomination and predication strategies of sympathy steering in Ola Rotimi’s The Gods Are Not to Blame through Ruth Wodak’s Discourse-Historical Approach (DHA) within Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). unlike earlier studies that emphasise Africanisms, the Nigerian civil war, supernatural determinism, fate, or proverbial richness, this research specifically investigates how Rotimi linguistically frames characters to elicit or withhold audience sympathy. Drawing on insights from empathy and sympathy studies, the analysis explores lexical choices, semantic presuppositions, and predicative attributions position characters within positive or negative moral alignments. The findings show that sympathy in the play is strategically constructed through discursive techniques rather than mere emotional appeal, and that these strategies operate within the Yoruba socio- cultural worldview where destiny, agency, and supernatural forces intersect. The study concludes that Rotimi’s dramaturgy demonstrates a deliberate interplay of linguistic strategy, cultural context and audience perception, thereby broadening critical understanding of African adaptations of classical tragedy.
Keywords: Sympathy steering, discourse-historical approach, Ola Rotimi, nomination strategies, The Gods Are Not to Blame
DOI: www.doi.org/10.36349/sojolics.2025.v01i03.029
author/Ibe, M. C., Ugwuagbo, W., & Krisagbedo, E. C.
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 1(3) | December 2025 |
