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    Toussaint L'Ouverture
    Toussaint L'Ouverture
    Toussaint L'Ouverture
    Ebook104 pages1 hour

    Toussaint L'Ouverture

    By Odiedo Stephen

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    About this ebook

    TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE is a play dramatizing the heroic and tragic story of Toussaint L'Ouverture the liberator of Haiti who led the African slaves in Haiti's liberation struggle and heroically defeated Napoleon Bonaparte and France and won the right to liberty and freedom. The play later dramatizes how, in the end, by treachery and guile, Haiti's Liberation Hero was betrayed by his trusted followers to Napoleon and was sent condemned to a lonely death in Fort de Joux in the cold Jura Mountains of eastern France.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOdiedo Stephen
    Release dateApr 1, 2019
    ISBN9781386283034
    Toussaint L'Ouverture
    Author

    Odiedo Stephen

    As a poet, playwright, essayist and novelist my writing dramatizes individuals confronting the fearsome might of the almighty African state in 3rd Millennium Africa. This is the fearful drama of lives violently torn apart on the urban African landscape – lives caught at the crossroads of modern Africa. I write on the tragic drama of lives cast adrift by the death of an anchoring ancient tradition killed by the triumphant march of the fearsome African state. AFRAHA https://books2read.com/u/mdWjZl  is the drama of lives dominated by the tragic irony that the almighty African state, the new secular god welcomed with so much hope and fanfare at independence in the last millennium, is now this fearsome monster devouring all: the “enemies of the state.” As the ironic “withering of the state” gathers pace, uprooted Africans are rushing back into the past to resurrect a monstrous version of a long rejected tradition – shattering lives outcast from tradition and targeted as “enemies” by a vengeful remorseless African state unrestrained neither by tradition (discredited) nor by constitutional law (elitist, effete, ineffectual against the state).   My play TOUSSAINT L’OUVERTURE https://books2read.com/u/bpjyrX was the 1st Prize Award winner of the DAILY NATION NEWSPAPER 1995 playwriting competition. My plays have been shortlisted on BBC African Performance and BBC International Playwriting Competition. OSIRIS OF THE SLUMS - submitted to the BBC International Playwrights Competition was a finalist for the 1999 BBC International Competition. Since  my play TOUSSAINT L’OUVERTURE  https://books2read.com/u/bpjyrX won the 1st Prize Award in the DAILY NATION NEWSPAPER playwriting competition I have continued to write poems, plays and novels thanks to the favour of the Muse herself, IMANNA of Splendour. I thank flame-haired Imanna Goddess for her kindnness.

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      Book preview

      Toussaint L'Ouverture - Odiedo Stephen

      INTRODUCTION

      TOUSSAINT L’OUVERTURE is the story of Toussaint L’Ouverture the liberator of Haiti who led the African slaves in Haiti’s liberation struggle and heroically defeated Napoleon Bonaparte and France and won the right to liberty and freedom. The play dramatizes how, in the end, by treachery and guile, Haiti’s Liberation Hero was betrayed by his trusted followers to Napoleon and was sent condemned to a lonely death in Fort de Joux in the cold Jura Mountains of eastern France.

      CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY

      KOKKI:  He is the ancient boatman who ferries the dead on Immamou the dread yet sacred barque that ferries the dead back to Guinee, the abode of the fortunate dead in the afterlife.

      ––––––––

      CHRISTOPHE: African leader and General in Haiti’s liberation army

      ––––––––

      DESSALINES: Haitian general and leader in the liberation army.

      ––––––––

      GALBAUD:  The French governor of Haiti at the time of the Liberation War led by Toussaint L’Ouverture

      ––––––––

      LECLERC:  French General

      MOISE: Leading Haitian General in the liberation army; Toussaint’s brother

      ––––––––

      NAPOLEON BONAPARTE:  First Consul of France.

      BOURKMANN: A bandit

      PAULINE BONAPARTE: Wife to general Leclerc.

      SONTHONAX: French Commissioner in Haiti

      TOUSSAINT L’OUVERTURE

      GRINNING DEATH:  a bandit.

      WHIPLASH:  a bandit

      AFRICAN CHIEF: an outlaw and a bandit

      MONKEYTAIL: a bandit

      FRENCH SOLDIERS

      SOLDIERS   In Haiti’s liberation army

      AFRICAN SLAVES

      HAITIANS:   Peasants and former slaves in Haiti’s liberation army

      HAITI:   She is an old woman.

      SORAYA:   a Loa

      LA SIRENE   Loas, sirens

      KRABINAYYA  Loas

      FRENCH SOLDIERS  

      AFRICAN SLAVES  

      MAROONS  runaway slaves

      INSURGENTS:  slaves and former slaves fighting against slavery in Haiti

      TOUSSAINT L’OUVERTURE

      ACT 1

      ACT 1 SCENE I

      IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH HAITI

      MAKANDAL, THE INSURGENT SLAVE LEADER AND HIS BAND OF MAROONS AND OUTLAWS

      MAKANDAL:

      Come, my braves, come!

      Listen sons of St. Domingue: this land will soon be free!

      I foresee the birth of a new nation on these islands –

      I foresee the birth of a new nation – and that nation’s name will be Haiti!

      Do you see the vision that I see? Do you see Haiti born out of the terrors of these suffering slaves?

      Follow me; I am Makandal, terror of Haiti – for I come carrying a heavy prophecy!

      I am Makandal, terror of the plains:

      Them that would keep a people slaves forever fear my name

      My name is Makandal and I am terror dancing flames on the mountains

      I bring you a prophecy my braves:

      This isle of sorrows will become an island of liberty!

      This land will shed its name of St, Domingue isle of chains

      And graveyard of Africa’s children!

      ––––––––

      THE MAROONS:

      Makandal wrath of God,

      Makandal, the scourge of St. Domingue of the slave driver –

      François Makandal: Haiti’s prophet!

      François Makandal, Haiti’s Saviour. François Makandal, black Messiah,

      Makandal Saviour: Makandal Black Jesus

      Makandal, Haiti’s Black Messiah

      MAKANDAL:

      The day is coming when Haiti’s children will not know sorrow

      The day draws nigh – when Haiti’s forsaken will know liberty!

      I tell you this for I am Makandal who has seen these things:

      The time draws nigh when Haiti’s children will sing songs of liberation –

      And Haiti will be free!

      MARRONS AND INSURGENTS:

      His name is Makandal and we know him!

      His name we know – for he is the being at the crossroads –

      He is the lord of time – of past time and future time and of the present:

      Makandal is the lord of this world and the lord of the next:

      He is a living loa, is Makandal: half of him rules this realm with far-seeing guile

      Half of him rules the next world with strength almighty:

      Makandal is the leader of men

      Makandal, terror of Haiti, terror of the French

      Makandal, fire from the mountains. Makandal, the scourge of Haiti

      Makandal wrath of men; Makandal, fire burning fire

      Burning, burning, burning fire burning

      For great Makandal is the wrath of men

      Relentless Makandal is the hound of Haiti – he is Makandal hound of hell

      The wrath of men is Mackandal’s fire

      Makandal is this great flame roaring through Haiti, devouring all enemies

      Makandal – the avenging fury; Makandal – avenging fire

      Makandal – revenge aflame! Revenge, revenge Makandal – the fire bringer

      The fear of their lives, the friend of their lives

      Makandal fiend of hell, Makandal! Hound of their days

      The scourge of their lives is Makandal, fire burning fire is he:

      Fire burning, burning fire burning, burning

      ––––––––

      MAKANDAL:

      Follow me men. Follow me to the plains of north Haiti,

      Follow me to the rich trophies of the plain

      Men, red blood is flowing in the plains

      Men, Haiti’s rich harvest of sorrow is your lot

      The hoarded wealth that France has stored for you – the diamonds, the gold, the rubies dangling jewels

      All the wealth that Haiti has stored for you – is your misery and your slavery.

      The glittering jewels draped on their plump, itchy frisky wives – that is your early death

      The rich draperies of their stuffed houses; the meat of their many herds;

      The grain of their many acres, the harvest of their fat granaries –

      All that is your premature old age, and your early grave –

      That is why this Haiti is the pearl of the Antilles;

      That is why the tears of your sorrows are glittering diamonds

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