The Trials of Brother Jero by Wole Soyinka Play Analysis
Title: The Trials of Brother Jero
Originally published: 1963
Author: Wole Soyinka
Original languages: English, Pidgin, Nigerian
The Trials of Brother Jero by Wole Soyinka, Soyinka is a satire about a fake prophet. It was first performed in Ibadan, Nigeria in 1960; at 26 years of age, it was one of Soyinka’s first plays.
Brother Jero (full name: Jeroboam) is an evangelical prophet practicing along a large beach in Lagos, Nigeria. Despite his supposed holiness, he often takes advantage of people.
While opportunistic and largely dishonest, Jero is also a product of the ignorant people around him. Jero understands what people want money, respectability, political power and he is willing to offer them compelling “prophecies” to reaffirm their deepest desires.
CHARACTERIZATION
Brother Jero
He is the protagonist. He is the main character portrayed as charlatan who attempts to achieve his ambition as an important and distinctive prophet by appearing immaculate in a velvet cape, which he had not yet paid for, and articulate in prophecy. His ultimate ambition is to be called the Velvet-hearted Jeroboam, Immaculate Jero, and Articulate Hero of Christ’s Crusade.
He is a fake (phoney) prophet. Brother Jeroboam (Jero) is a self-professed man of God who preaches water but drinks wine. He is a fake prophet but he has managed to convince a group of people that he is God’s prophet with divine powers to help them fulfil their dreams.
He is corrupt. As a religious leader Brother Jero turns out to be what we don’t expect of a man of God. He runs after women, he buys the velvet cape from Amope on credit but refuses to pay her. This is moral corruption for a man of God.
He is a liar. He lies even to his own assistant that he has no house and he sleeps at the beach but in reality he has a house somewhere in Ajete settlement area. Chume says in page 31. ‘E no be man of God. ‘E say `in sleep for beach whether `e rain or cold but that one too na big lie. This man get house and `e sleep there every night”
He is a hypocrite prophet. Brother Jero has been preventing Chume from beating his wife claiming that it’s not the will of God, however the day he discovered that Amope (whom he owed the money) is Chume’s wife he granted the permission. This is highest level of hypocrisy.
He is an exploiter. Brother Jero exploits his subjects through offerings they pay. For him this is a complete trade and he calls his worshipers “his customers”
He is a womanizer. (Skirt-chaser) Brother Jero admits that his weakness is women. Chume calls him “Adulterer! Women thief”
Chume
Amope’s husband. He is the husband of Amope and usually quarrels with her.
Brother Jero’s assistant. He helps Brother Jero to administer in his church.
He is a chief messenger. He is employed as a chief messenger. Her wife is not contented with her husband’s job because it doesn’t give him enough to support the family.
He is a blind follower of brother Jero. Chume is among the devoted followers of Brother Jero who are exploited unawares. He thinks that Jero is a genuine man of God until he discovers the real man behind the mask. Jero uses his ignorance to tell him that The Son of God appeared to him and gave him a new title Immaculate Jero, Articulate Hero of Christ Crusade and Chume believes.
He leads a poor life. Chume is very poor something that causes him troubles with his wife who claims that he has better become a Sanitary Inspector for he can at least take bribes and buy a motorcycle than the bicycle he has. Also she regrets by saying “Am I to go to my grave as a wife of a chief massager?”
He is a traditionalist who believes in Women beating. Chume believes that women beating can be a solution to silence his wife Amope and stop her from abusing him.
Amope.
She is a wife of Chume. She usually quarrels with her husband.
She is a petty trader. She earns her living by engaging in petty trade selling things including the velvet cape she sold to Brother Jero for one pound eight shillings and he has not paid her.
She is a very hardworking woman. She is a hard working woman and manages to prepare the food for her husband. She says “You can’t say I don’t try. Hounded out of house by debtors, I still manage to make you a meal”. (P. 23)
She is brave and courageous. She is very courageous and has a firm stand. For example she goes to camp at the house of Brother Jero until she is paid her money. Moreover when Chume forces her to get onto the bicycle so that they may leave she refuses and says “I won’t get on that thing unless you kill me first” (p. 26)
She is abusive. She uses abusive language when talking to people like the fish seller, her husband and her debtor Brother Jero. For example she abuses the trader “Do you see what you have done, you spindle-leg toad?” then she turns to the boy drumming “take yourself off, you dirty beggar. Do you think my money is for the likes of you? ” (p. 9)
She likes complaining. She complains too much almost in every situation and against everybody she encounters. She complains against her husband, against the fish seller, against the drum boy and against brother Jero. E.g. “I don’t know what the world is coming to. A chief of a Prophet, a swindler of a fish- seller and now that thing with lice on his head comes begging for money. He and the prophet ought to get together with the fish-seller their mother” (p. 9)
Member of Parliament.
He is an M.P. He is a senior member of the Federal house.
He is a power monger. We are told that he is a member of the federal house- a backbencher but with one eye on a ministerial post.
He is poor in speech making. He goes to Brother Jero every day to be taught the tricks in speech making but he never makes the speeches. He is too scared.
He is ignorant. He is one of those Brother Jero cheats with false prophesies that their dreams would be fulfilled. Brother Jero prophesies that he would be appointed as a Minister for War. And he believes him.
THEMES IN THE PLAY CONFLICTS
Soyinka has discussed different controversies that arise as a result of the kind of religion introduced in Africa which brought both hopes and disappointments. Those who were thought to be the men of God and gospel light bearers have turned out to be the very wolves in a sheep’s clothing. Brother Jero is the main source of conflicts in the play.
Most of the conflicts addressed in the play are personal conflicts involving the following individuals;
a. Conflict between Brother Jero and Old prophet.
This conflict occurs as result of a quarrel over a piece of land at the beach where Brother Jero erects his church. He decides to chase away the old Prophet despite the fact that he is the one who trained Brother Jero as a prophet.
b. Conflict between Brother Jero and Amope.
This conflict occurs because of the money Brother Jero owes Amope. She has sold him a Velvet cape for one pound and eight shillings but Brother Jero has been avoiding paying her claiming that his money is in the bank. This causes a serious conflict between the two.c. Conflict between Amope and the trader.
This occurs when Amope comments that her fish smells a bit. She gets angry and says that maybe it is Amope who hasn’t bathed for a week. The two exchange hot potatoes and the fish trader decides to leave avoiding the unnecessary quarrel.
d. Conflict between Chume and Amope
This conflict arises as a result of two major factors. One is from their personality traits. Amope is so hot- tempered that she evokes a quarrel over just a minor issue while Chume on his side seems to be so church- centred ignoring to provide for his own family. Secondly the poor state at home stirs the conflict to the point where Amope regrets to have married a mere messenger and wishes he had been at least a sanitary inspector for it is a better job than a messenger. This causes a serious conflict in which case Chume seeks for permission from the Prophet to beat her but the permission is not granted.
e. Conflict among the prophets.
The prophets are quarrelling over a piece of land where to establish their churches. The conflict involves “The brotherhood of Jehu, the Cherubims and seraphims, the Sisters of Judgement day, the heavenly cowboys” and The Jehovah’s Witnesses. The conflict is so intense to the point that the town council had to intervene and divide the land peacefully among the prophets.
BETRAYAL
Betrayal has been portrayed in different scenarios.
Brother Jero betrays the Old Prophet by chasing him away while in fact he is the one who trained him to become a prophet. Brother Jero drives him away after a clash over the land at the beach where he later establishes his church.
Brother Jero has betrayed his Christian faith and his followers by acting contrary to what is expected of a prophet of God. He uses his position to exploit the ignorant mass and he calls them his customers. Furthermore, he does things that are morally contrary to the Christian faith in the name of religion like being lustful for women.
Brother Jero betrays his closest assistant Chume. First he does not tell him the truth about his really life. He has a house at Ajete Settlement area and he keeps it a secret claiming that he sleeps at the beach. Secondly, he allows Chume to go and beat his wife after realising that she is the one he owes the money saying it is the will of God while he does so for his own interest.
Brother Jero has betrayed Amope. He bought a Velvet Cape from her promising to pay for it but it has been three months and the debt is not paid. Moreover he keeps on avoiding her something that shows that he is not willing to pay for the Velvet cape.
IGNORANCE
The worshippers in this play are portrayed as ignorant as they trust Brother Jero as a man of God not realising the real man who has camouflaged himself behind the mask of Christianity. He uses that opportunity to exploit them since they are not aware that he is just a womaniser, a liar, and an exploiter. He says for example “I know they are dissatisfied because I keep them dissatisfied. Once they are full, they won’t come again”. (p.11)
Chume represents those ignorant and blind followers of Brother Jero who don’t know the true nature of their so-called-prophet. He serves Brother Jero faithfully and with reverence and ends up becoming poorer and poorer as he has dedicated much of his time to church service leaving his family starving. He asks Brother Jero to pray for him so that he may become rich one day.
The M.P is also ignorant as he is cheated by Brother Jero that he had a prophecy for him which showed that he would be appointed the minister for war. As it was his petty dream to become a minister he grows optimistic and asks Brother Jero to pray for him.
Finally, ignorance is portrayed through the quarrels between Amope and her husband and Amope against the fish trader. In both cases the quarrels are stirred by minor things that are not strong enough to cause conflict for sensible and responsible people.
EXPLOITATION
Brother Jero is portrayed as a chief exploiter in this play both as a priest and as an individual. In one case, he exploits the petty trader Amope by buying a Velvet Cape from her promising to pay her but it has been three months and no payment is done. This is exploitation of the small scale businesswoman.
In another case, he uses his followers’ ignorance of his true nature to exploit them morally and materially. He fools them that he has no house to live in so that people give him money in terms of offerings to God. This makes him refer to them as customers and he takes his ministry as a trade. He says “I am glad I got here before my customers – I mean worshippers – well, customers if you like. I always get that feeling every morning that I am a shop-keeper waiting for customers” (p.11)
HYPOCRISY AND CHARLATANISM
Brother Jero is a real wolf in a sheep’s clothing. He has camouflaged himself behind the mask of Christianity to the point that his followers cannot distinguish between the real Jeroboam and the Prophet Jero. He lies to his followers that he has no house and they believe him. He also tells them that he is a real prophet of God while in fact he is a self-professed prophet, a liar and a womaniser.
He deceives Amope that he has the money in the bank while in reality he was looking for the way to escape.
He denies Chume the permission to beat his wife claiming that it’s against the will of God but when he discovers that Amope whom he owes the money is Chume’s wife he grants the permission claiming it is the will of God.
Brother Jero lies to Chume that the Son of God appeared to him and gave him a new name title; Immaculate Jero, articulate Jero of Christ Crusade which is not true. He also cheats the M.P. that he had prophesy for him being appointed as the minister of War so that he can convince him to become his follower while it is not true.
MISUSE OF RELIGION/THE RISE OF PHONEY PROPHETS
Brother Jero misuses the Christian religion and uses his position and the trust he has from the worshipers to exploit his followers and capitalises on their efforts. The ignorant followers like Chume are so devoted to Church services so much that they even forget to take care of their families.
Also Brother Jero is a hypocrite as a religious leader because he cheats people that he has no house thus he sleeps at the beach in order to win their sympathy and hide his identity. This is not what we expect of a religious leader.
In a way Soyinka was portraying the big picture available in most African countries nowadays. Phoney prophets are scattered everywhere and many more are born every day, most of whom are trained in Nigeria –the playwright’s country. So he speaks from experience. They name their churches after sweet names that do not reflect their behaviours.
Nevertheless, the names used in this play are used satirically to criticise the prophets and worshippers misconducts. “The brotherhood of Jehu, the Cherubims and seraphims, the Sisters of Judgement day, the heavenly cowboys”. This is the reason 1why Brother Jero wishes to have a new title that sounds good in the ears of his followers and can attract more worshippers “Immaculate Jero, Articulate hero of Christ Crusade.”
OPPRESSION
Amope is oppressed by Brother Jero who takes her Velvet Cape and refuses to clear the debt. He causes troubles to the woman to the point that she decides to camp at his door.
Amope is also oppressed by her husband who threatens to beat her. Chume seeks the permission from the hypocritical prophet to beat his wife and the permission is granted because Brother Jero wants to revenge against Amope through Chume. Chume forces Amope to go home so that he may quench his thirst by beating her.
AWARENESS
Soyinka finalises his comedy by showing that Chume became aware of the real man behind the mask. He shows awareness in the following scenarios.
He discovers that Brother Jero is a liar because he claims that he sleeps at the beach while he has a big house. He says “That one no fool me any more. ’E no be man of God. ‘E say in sleep for beach whether ‘e rain or cold but that one too na big lie. That man get house and ‘e sleep there every night” (p.31)
He discovers that Brother Jero allowed him to beat his wife for Brother Jero’s convenience claiming that it is the will of God.
Amope is aware that Brother Jero is a phoney prophet. Her encounter with Brother Jero has revealed to her that he lacks the qualities of a Man of God because he is a dishonest man.
THE POSITION AND ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE SOCIETY
Women occupy various positions and roles in this society. Soyinka has viewed them both positively and negatively;
Women are portrayed as hard workers and bread earners. Amope is a hardworking petty trader who works hard to put food on the table both for her and her husband. The fish trader is another case in point. She moves around selling fish so as to earn a living.
Women are portrayed as more conscious than men. Amope represents women who are aware of what is going on in the society while her husband is blindly following Brother Jero and believing him as a man of God. She discovers the hypocrisy of brother Jero before her husband does.
Women are portrayed as a strong and courageous people. Amope represents strong and courageous women in the society. Being a woman is not a criterion for her to be looked down upon by men. She struggles bravely against any man who crosses with her and defends her position. She for instance decides to camp at Brother Jero’s house until he pays her money.
Women are portrayed as wicked people. Furthermore in the play women are viewed from another vantage point as people who are leading men to commit sin. The mentioning of women like Eve, Delilah and Jezebel from the bible who all led their men to commit sin serves this purpose.
Women are portrayed as tools for sexual pleasure. Brother Jero uses women as tools to satisfy his sexual desires however he complains that women are the source of sexual immorality in the society.
THE MESSAGE OF THE PLAY.
We should be careful with phoney/false prophets. They are scattered everywhere and their interest in not spreading the word of God but enriching themselves through the worshippers offerings.
We should not be hypocrites as it leads to dishonest practices. Brother Jero is a hypocrite so he does many dishonest practices in the society.
Wife beating is not a best solution to solve a family conflict. It is better for the concerned parties to sit down, sort out issues and arrive at a common consensus that benefits both sides.
Ignorance is a motivating factor for exploitation. People should be aware of what is going on in the society to avoid being exploited blindly.
Betrayal is not good in our society. It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.
RELEVANCE
Wole Soyinka has successfully addressed the problem that is in most African countries now especially in his own home country-Nigeria. Though it was published in the early 1960’s, it is very relevant to the contemporary socio-political and religious situation in Nigeria and Africa in general. The choice of the two characters was determined by their roles as protagonist (Jero as a charlatan) and antagonist (Chume as a victim).
There are many churches, ministries, and faith groups emerging everywhere in Africa by people who self-prophesy to be Prophets of God. They refer to themselves as Prophets or apostles given the holy mission by Christ while in reality they want to capitalize on the efforts of the ignorant worshippers.
The Conflict among these prophets over land and followers is the order of the day. They preach against each other’s weakness instead of against the devil.
There are many Politicians who go to prophets for prayers for promotion. In this play the M.P. does not go to church to genuinely worship God but he does so because he has a dream of being appointed a minister, and he wants to achieve his dream through miraculous prayers.