Heroism, Female Political Adventure and Aesthetic Ambiguities in Irene Salami Agunloye’s Plays: More Than Dancing and Emotan

Abstract

According to Terry Eagleton, aesthetics is a dubious enterprise that is born as a discourse of the body Formulated by the German philosopher, Alexander Baumgarten, aesthetics transcends art delving into 'the whole region of human perception and sensation in contrast to the more rarefied domain of conceptual thought '. In this chapter, we intend to discuss aesthetics in a particular context, though, it must be stated, in line with Kant's and Zangwill's judgments of sentiments and taste, and in line with Kelly’s definition of aesthetics as critical reflection on art, culture and nature. We will look at certain artistic cum dramatic aspects of Irene Salami Agunloye 's works vis-a-viz the thematic thrust. This chapter offers a critical appreciation of aesthetics in the two select plays considering certain ambiguities that paradoxically make the plays beautiful in their own right and make the women who she fights for in ner plays more than just objects of beauty and aesthetic appeal to the men. The chapter argues that even from a philosophical point of view, her works can be appreciated as contributing to the richness in Nigeria 3' cultural pantheon (Benin specifically), and concludes by drawing attention to the fact that Agunloye, though writing from a feminist standpoint, does bring up arguments in her works that depict the critical place of women (working closely with cooperative male counterparts) and their achievements in nation building.