16/06/2026
In Aristotle’s classical definition of tragedy, a tragic hero is a protagonist of noble or high standing who possesses a fatal flaw (hamartia) that leads to their inevitable downfall.
While Bosede Ademilua-Afolayan’s Once Upon an Elephant subverts some traditional tropes by shaping the protagonist, Ajanaku (Olaniyonu), into a villainous tyrant, he still heavily retains the architecture of a tragic hero. He is a larger-than-life figure whose immense potential is completely swallowed by ambition, manipulation, and moral blindness.
Here are ten reasons why Ajanaku functions as a tragic hero, supported by evidence from the play:
1. High Social and Royal Standing
A tragic hero must possess high status so that their fall reverberates through an entire society. Ajanaku is introduced as a prince, one of the sons of the ailing King Akinjobi. He is eventually crowned the supreme ruler (King) of the Yoruba village at the village square. His elevated position ensures that his choices dictate the fate of the entire kingdom.
2. A Fatal Flaw (Hamartia): Insatiable Ambition
His tragic flaw is an unyielding, destructive lust for absolute power, wealth, and recognition. This flaw blinds him to the boundaries of human limitation and tradition. He abandons his birth name, Olaniyonu, to call himself "Ajanaku" (The Elephant), a moniker reflecting his desire to stomp over anyone in his path.
3. Hubris (Excessive Pride)
Ajanaku’s pride leads him to believe he is above the laws of gods and men. This is vividly demonstrated when he settles a land dispute in his court. Instead of acting as an impartial judge, his arrogance leads him to outrightly seize the fertile land for himself, demonstrating that he believes his royal authority places him above the concept of justice.
4. False Sense of Security and Deception
Tragic heroes are often manipulated into their doom by external forces. Ajanaku is deeply enabled by Serubawon, the deceptive chief priest and medicine man. Serubawon orchestrates the death/ailing of King Akinjobi and utilizes corrupt means and bribes (offering gifts to elders like Odejimi and Ogundele) to illegally install Ajanaku on the throne, giving the young king a false sense of absolute invincibility.
5. Alienation of Wise Counsel
A classic sign of a tragic hero's descent is the rejection of those trying to save him. Ajanaku consistently alienates the elders and moral pillars of the community. When Ogundele and the council of elders attempt to guide the new king, and when Iya Agba visits the palace to warn him against taking what does not belong to him, Ajanaku responds with hostility and aggressively banishes Iya Agba from the palace.
6. Ensnarement in a Cycle of Perversion
The tragic hero often crosses a point of no return where their actions become increasingly monstrous to sustain their position. To solidify his throne, Ajanaku enters into the Ijedodo ritual under Serubawon’s direction. This horrific ritual requires him to violently exploit and feed on the life force of six virgins, locking him into a diabolical cycle of evil from which he cannot spiritually escape.
7. Tragic Isolation in Relationships
Despite his immense power, Ajanaku is profoundly isolated and unloved, a common psychological trait of tragic figures. He forces Omoyeni to marry him by threatening to destroy her family and murder her lover, Delani. Consequently, his domestic life is built on a lie; Omoyeni secretly despises him and eventually reveals to Iya Agba that the child she is carrying belongs to Delani, leaving Ajanaku with a hollow legacy.
8. Cosmic Irony and the Ultimate Violation
In a deeply tragic twist of cosmic irony, the hero unwittingly destroys his own bloodline while trying to save himself. In his quest to complete the final stage of the Ijedodo ritual for immortality, Ajanaku ambushes and rapes Desola in the bush. He is entirely blind to the fact that Desola is Serubawon's daughter and his own half-sister—a catastrophic sin that forces the hidden truth of his bastard lineage to light.
9. Anagnorisis (The Moment of Tragic Discovery)
Before his death, the veil of deception falls. Ajanaku experiences a shattering realization when Serubawon is forced to confess his atrocities. Ajanaku discovers that he is not even the legitimate son of King Akinjobi, but the product of an illicit affair between Serubawon and the King’s younger wife, Adebisi. He realizes his entire identity, royal right, and quest for immortality were built on quicksand.
10. Nemesis and Inevitable Downfall
The tragic trajectory concludes with total ruin (nemesis). During the Jobele ceremony, where Ajanaku confidently expects to attain immortality, his past victims strike back. Orchestrated by Iya Agba, the traumatized Desola embraces Ajanaku to ritually reclaim her stolen life force, while Odekunle wraps a charmed red cloth around Ajanaku's neck.
The "Elephant" is stripped of his strength and crashes to the ground dead, completing his tragic arc from an ambitious prince to a fallen, disgraced despot.
゚viralシ
