Ozidi: He is the father of Ozidi. Ozidi is a renown and mighty warrior of Orua, whom the people killed when his excesses theathens them. Ozidi is a straight forward and honorable character who wants the best for Orua, up to the point of rejecting the throne, because of his elder brother’s mental issue and he being younger couldn’t.
His hubris is his over-reliance on his charms which makes him invisible to weapons. With this in mind, he ignores his wife’s plea and the sign of the bad omen, he charges to his death. Furthermore, his tragic death is as a result of his threats and insults to the people of Orua. Unknown to him, he builds his enemies overtime and he is killed.
He is a major character and has thematic bearing. His death leads to the several deaths and destruction in Orua.
Ozidi: He is the son of Ozidi. He is raised by his mother and grandmother, Oreame the witch after the death of his father. He gets into many fights as a child, because his peers tease him for not having a father, name and being backed up always by his grandmother. His grandmother, Oreame the witch trains him up, fortifies him to avenge his father’s death. After he is possessed, he takes on the name of Ozidi.
He heads back home and kills all his father’s killers. He develops a taste for blood and he evens kills his grandmother. He meets his end with the small pox king.
The character is built up to avenge his father’s death only, and so after accomplishing it, he becomes an empty being. The reader can take pity on the character, because, although he is bloodthirsty, he is raised by a witch.
His hubris is his bloodthirstiness and over reliance on his grandmother. These both lead to his unfulfilled life. It is safe to say he is the tragic hero of the play. He is the protagonist.
Oreame: The maternal grandmother of Ozidi. She is a witch, and is responsible for the raising of Ozidi to avenge the death of her son-in-law. She spurs her grandson on and fortifies him to avenge his father. She becomes his backbone, unfortunately for her, her grandson kills her when she refreshes his power in battle.
She is a major character. Her death leaves Ozidi defenseless against the small pox king.
Orea: The wife of Ozidi and mother of Ozidi. She recognizes the bad omen and tries to warn Ozidi from charging to his death. After his death, she tries to kill herself, but she is saved by an old woman who tells her of her pregnancy.
The character of Orea is a weak one, who seeing the end of her husband’s war path, lets her son follows suit. She complains at intervals but let her mother raise her son.
Ofe: He is one of the generals in Orua and a personal enemy of Ozidi. He births the plan to kill Ozidi. Also, he is the one lifts Ozidi’s head when none could. Ofe dies at the hands of Ozidi’s son.
The character starts the path of the revenge of Ozidi, by bringing up the plan to kill his father. He is one of the antagonists in the play.
Other enemies of Ozidi include; Azezabife, Oguaran, Agbogidi.
Temugbede: The idiot brother of Ozidi. He is not mentally stable and against the wishes of Ozidi, he accepts the throne. When Ozidi is killed, he flees and lives under an umbrella tree.
The character of Temugbede does not receive much attention, because he hardly says anything reasonable. The only wise thing he says is his warning to Ozidi not to follow his father’s path.
Ewiri: The amananaowei of Orua. He is a talebearer and a man with a nose for food and drinks. He brought the message about Ozidi’s coming. Also, he pitches Ozidi and Tebesoma against themselves.
Small pox King: With his attendance of cold, fever, spots and headache wiped out the family of Ozidi and in the end kills Ozidi too.
Analysis by
-Amabebe Alexander (the Minder)
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