NATURE FREEWILL AND DESTINY IN OLA ROTIMI’S KURUNMI

ABSTRACT This study examines the nature of freewill and destiny in Ola Rotimi’s Kurunmi, focusing on how the playwright explores the tension between human agency and predetermined fate within the framework of Yoruba metaphysical thought and African tragic tradition. The research is motivated by the need to understand how African drama articulates indigenous philosophical views of destiny, responsibility, and moral choice, particularly in the context of leadership and communal conflict. Using a qualitative textual analysis approach, the study analyzes key scenes, characters, and dramatic techniques in Kurunmi. The concepts of ayanmo (destiny), ori (inner spiritual head), and iwa (character) are employed as interpretive tools to examine how destiny operates as a guiding framework while freewill functions through deliberate human actions. The findings reveal that Rotimi presents destiny not as a rigid, inescapable force but as a cultural and spiritual structure that interacts with human choice. Kurunmi’s tragic downfall is shown to result largely from his personal rigidity, pride, and resistance to change rather than from fate alone. The study concludes that Kurunmi offers a balanced tragic vision in which destiny and freewill coexist as complementary forces shaping human experience. It also establishes that Rotimi’s work contributes significantly to African tragic discourse by blending indigenous Yoruba philosophy with universal tragic concerns. The study therefore recommends further comparative research on fate and human agency in African drama to deepen understanding of African metaphysical and literary traditions. Keywords: Freewill, Destiny, Tragedy, Yoruba Metaphysics, Ola Rotimi, Kurunmi, African Drama