Abstract

The paper dwells on the tragic personality, the scapegoat, whose role is tied to the redemption of the people and cleansing of the land by metaphorically sacrificing himself during “““Olofun”gbogho””. This is another act in the fertility drama and it is instrumental in the regeneration of the land. The tragic hero is central to the cleansing, fertility and other allied ceremonies. The paper attempts an examination of the functions of the scapegoat during ““Olofun”gbogho”” and situates the tragic hero within a selfless desire to redeem the land from accumulated sins. The tool of analysis is aesthetics and the paper uncovers the underlying imperatives in the performance and situates them within art and the fulfilment of the people’s desire for entertainment.