An Analysis of Shakespeare’s Influence on the Presentation of Female Characters in African Literature

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to analyze the influence of Shakespeare on African playwrights by
comparing plays by African playwrights to those of Shakespeare. The women characters are
discussed as follows: Namvua in The Bride, Aminata in Aminata, Reverend Sangoi in Inheritance,
Tinka in The Burdens and Rola (Madam Tortoise) in A Dance of the forests. These characters are
examined in comparison with Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Desdemona in Othello, Lady Macbeth in
Macbeth, and Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra. Feminist gender theory was used to shed light
on the role of women and their status as depicted in both Shakespeare’s and the African
playwrights’ drama. Despite living in different times, African playwrights borrow heavily from
Shakespeare in the creation of their women characters. In both cases, the women characters have
succeeded in hitting at the endocentric customs and cultural conventions, art, philosophies of life
and religion which have always assigned women the slavish roles that are secondary to men. This
is an indication of the influence that Shakespeare has had on African playwrights, a fact that can
be attributed to the patriarchal societies in which both lived.