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The Marriage of Anansewa by Efua Theodora Sutherland tells the story of Ananse, a wretched but clever man who figures that he could get out of penury if he properly utilises the prospects the marriage of his only daughter offers. The play is structured into four acts. In this post, our focus shall be on the act-to-act summary and analysis of The Marriage of Anansewa with links to standalone articles on each act.
Act 1 Summary and Analysis
Act 1 of The Marriage of Anansewa by Efua Sutherland opens in Ananse’s small home, where it is raining heavily outside. The Players perform a short introductory song about the struggles of life. This sets the mood of hardship and foreshadows the play’s focus on survival and cunning.
Ananse joins the song. He personalises the song’s message to his own situation. His poor state, signified by his leaking roof, shabby chairs, and low social standing, is made clear from the start.
Ananse bursts in with typing paper, carbon paper, and envelopes. He calls on his daughter, Anansewa, to help him type some important letters. Though she is reluctant because she is heading out, he persuades her by reminding her of their poverty and unpaid school fees at E.P.’s Secretarial School.
After some protest, Anansewa agrees to help. Together, they compose four letters filled with praise and flattery, which she types while the Players sing about time and opportunity.
When she returns, Ananse surprises her with ₵120 for her school fees. Overjoyed at first, she is later shocked to discover that the money came from Chief-Who-Is-Chief, one of four wealthy suitors to whom her father had written; the others being Chief Sapaase, Chief Togbe Klu IV, and the Chief of the Mines.
Act 2 Summary and Analysis
Act 2 of The Marriage of Anansewa opens with the Storyteller and the Players discussing Ananse’s cunning schemes. Their commentary reminds the audience that Ananse’s cleverness is a double-edged sword in that it brings both gain and risk.
When the curtain rises, Ananse is seen seated, enjoying the fruits of his trickery. Two female messengers from Chief Sapaase arrive. They bring with them his greetings and a large sum of money. The women leave after delivering the gift, and Ananse’s joy becomes uncontrollable.
Ananse begins to fantasise about spending lavishly and showing off his wealth in church the next day. His fantasy is a humorous image that reflects his vanity and quick forgetfulness of his humble background.
Soon after, a group of workmen (a carpenter, mason, and painter) arrive to begin home renovations. Ananse plans to transform his poor house into one befitting the father of a “soon-to-be married” woman.
As the workmen work, they sing, with the Players joining in. This creates a lively, communal rhythm typical of Ghanaian folk performance. The songs continue to function as commentary, as they combine entertainment with moral reflection in function.
Act 3 Summary and Analysis
Act 3 of The Marriage of Anansewa opens with Aya, Ananse’s mother, and Ekuwa, her sister (Ananse’s aunt), in conversation about Anansewa’s marriage preparations. Aya recalls the memory of Ananse’s late wife and expresses both affection and worry about her granddaughter’s future.
Aya also voices her suspicion of Miss Christie. She believes that Christie’s interest in helping with Anansewa’s marriage is motivated by her attraction to Ananse himself:
“She is leaning her ladder on my grandchild in order to climb up to my son.”
This early domestic scene establishes both family tension and comedic undertone. In it, there is a combination of gossip and genuine concern.
The bridal purification ceremony soon begins. Girls sing praises and perform ritual acts to bless Anansewa. Aya leads the ceremony; she recounts how Anansewa was bathed early that morning with new sponge and soap and “life-giving water.”
Ekuwa adds nyanya leaves to the water, which is a traditional symbol of purification and protection, and places an egg before Anansewa to invite good fortune. The atmosphere is joyous and symbolic of the community’s rich cultural heritage.
Act 4 Summary and Analysis
Act 4 of The Marriage of Anansewa opens with the Players mourning Anansewa’s “death.” Their lamentation sets a somber yet ironic tone, since the audience knows she is only pretending to be dead.
The Storyteller soon enters. He announces that today is “a funeral for the Dead-and-Alive.” He reminds the audience of the moral principle that anchors the entire play:
“No-sale-no-payment obliges no one”,
meaning, no matter how much a man spends on a woman, he has no claim to her unless he pays her bride price.
This reminder prepares the audience for the moral testing of the four chiefs through their responses to Anansewa’s “death.”
The first visitors are messengers from the Chief of the Mines. They come to express condolences and bring gifts: silk, kente, dumas cotton cloth, drinks, and money.
However, they add that their chief was forced to send them and that, since he never completed the marriage rites, he owes her no burial.
After they leave, Ananse reflects joyfully, especially as he realises that if his daughter had married into that household, she would have been hated and mistreated by the chief’s unsympathetic advisers.
Next arrive the messengers from Chief Sapaase. One of the female envoys openly says she had been looking forward to using Anansewa’s beauty and future child to spite a rival woman in the palace.
They present their gifts (silk, velvet, white kente cloth, and twenty guineas) before departing.
Again, Ananse rejoices privately. He says he now sees that had Anansewa gone there, she would have been dragged into palace rivalries and possibly harmed.
Related:
- 40 Multiple-Choice Questions on The Marriage of Anansewa by Efua Theodora Sutherland
- Plot Summary of Efua T. Sutherland’s “The Marriage of Anansewa”
- Characterisation in Efua T. Sutherland’s “The Marriage of Anansewa”
- Themes in “The Marriage of Anansewa”
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