Job's Wife
Encyclopedia
Job’s Wife is a play by Philip Begho
, written in verse
. It was the winner of the Association of Nigerian Authors
(ANA) Drama Prize in 2002. It is an interpretation of the biblical Book of Job
.
himself never appears onstage, the crucial character being his wife who is hardly mentioned in the Bible
except for her spurious advice to Job. We meet her packing to leave him and dissociate herself from his misfortunes. It is evident that she believes he suffers
for his sin
s and has become separated from God
, so she is free to start a new life on her own. Her maid Reibah tries to stop her with the only means she can come up with – the lie that a powerful healer is coming, only for her conscience to trouble her afterwards. She is soothed by Nali, who promises to do her own bit to delay Job’s wife; Nali has a vague belief that Reibah’s lie
has a kernel of truth
, that in one way or another, time will bring healing.
Thus Nali works at cross-purposes rather than helping her mistress in the way she wants to be helped, as well as her ridiculous speech about how she will accompany her.
When the mysterious Healer actually does appear, the supernatural
is dramatically tamed by Job’s wife’s indignation that he wasn’t announced by a servant, and that he should have knocked; she naturally presumes he is the one Reibah spoke of. The Healer eases Job’s suffering offstage, but his real business is with the wife’s hypocrisy
, brought out as he questions the reason for her behaviour.
What he gradually teaches her and the audience
is balanced with the mutual incomprehension and comic exchanges between mistress and Nali, who can’t see the Healer, and yet speaks the truth about him even as the woman concludes the girl is mad. When the Healer condemns the harm Job’s friends have done, she defends them, showing that their error is also hers, in weakening Job and depleting his moral courage
and faith
. He explains to her that suffering is purposeful and meant to teach, but not necessarily the sufferer, who sometimes far from being guilt
y, is sometimes one “found worthy to bear the suffering that instructs his fellows and for this service his reward is sure.”
The Healer gets the wife to turn her attention to what Job’s suffering has taught her about herself, for rather than deepening in compassion
and love
, she became a hypocrite, deceiving herself about her real motives, which have more to do with the loss of Job’s prosperity
. What she must learn is introduced in bits, for Job’s wife has a positive self-image and resists seeing her guilt and Job’s innocence
.
Philip Begho
Philip Begho, author of over seventy books, is an award-winning Nigerian writer . Born in Warri, Delta State on January 11, 1956 of an Itsekiri father and a mother of mixed race, he received his secondary school education at King’s College, Lagos and obtained an LLB. from the University of Lagos...
, written in verse
Verse (poetry)
A verse is formally a single line in a metrical composition, e.g. poetry. However, the word has come to represent any division or grouping of words in such a composition, which traditionally had been referred to as a stanza....
. It was the winner of the Association of Nigerian Authors
Association of Nigerian Authors
The Association of Nigerian Authors represents Nigerian creative writers at home and abroad. It was founded in 1981 with the novelist Chinua Achebe as President. The current President is Hon Wale Okediran...
(ANA) Drama Prize in 2002. It is an interpretation of the biblical Book of Job
Book of Job
The Book of Job , commonly referred to simply as Job, is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. It relates the story of Job, his trials at the hands of Satan, his discussions with friends on the origins and nature of his suffering, his challenge to God, and finally a response from God. The book is a...
.
Plot
JobJob (Biblical figure)
Job is the central character of the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible. Job is listed as a prophet of God in the Qur'an.- Book of Job :The Book of Job begins with an introduction to Job's character — he is described as a blessed man who lives righteously...
himself never appears onstage, the crucial character being his wife who is hardly mentioned in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
except for her spurious advice to Job. We meet her packing to leave him and dissociate herself from his misfortunes. It is evident that she believes he suffers
Suffering
Suffering, or pain in a broad sense, is an individual's basic affective experience of unpleasantness and aversion associated with harm or threat of harm. Suffering may be qualified as physical or mental. It may come in all degrees of intensity, from mild to intolerable. Factors of duration and...
for his sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s and has become separated from God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, so she is free to start a new life on her own. Her maid Reibah tries to stop her with the only means she can come up with – the lie that a powerful healer is coming, only for her conscience to trouble her afterwards. She is soothed by Nali, who promises to do her own bit to delay Job’s wife; Nali has a vague belief that Reibah’s lie
Lie
For other uses, see Lie A lie is a type of deception in the form of an untruthful statement, especially with the intention to deceive others....
has a kernel of truth
Truth
Truth has a variety of meanings, such as the state of being in accord with fact or reality. It can also mean having fidelity to an original or to a standard or ideal. In a common usage, it also means constancy or sincerity in action or character...
, that in one way or another, time will bring healing.
Thus Nali works at cross-purposes rather than helping her mistress in the way she wants to be helped, as well as her ridiculous speech about how she will accompany her.
When the mysterious Healer actually does appear, the supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
is dramatically tamed by Job’s wife’s indignation that he wasn’t announced by a servant, and that he should have knocked; she naturally presumes he is the one Reibah spoke of. The Healer eases Job’s suffering offstage, but his real business is with the wife’s hypocrisy
Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie....
, brought out as he questions the reason for her behaviour.
What he gradually teaches her and the audience
Audience
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature , theatre, music or academics in any medium...
is balanced with the mutual incomprehension and comic exchanges between mistress and Nali, who can’t see the Healer, and yet speaks the truth about him even as the woman concludes the girl is mad. When the Healer condemns the harm Job’s friends have done, she defends them, showing that their error is also hers, in weakening Job and depleting his moral courage
Moral courage
Moral courage is the courage to take action for moral reasons despite the risk of adverse consequences.Courage is required to take action when one has doubts or fears about the consequences. Moral courage therefore involves deliberation or careful thought...
and faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
. He explains to her that suffering is purposeful and meant to teach, but not necessarily the sufferer, who sometimes far from being guilt
Guilt
Guilt is the state of being responsible for the commission of an offense. It is also a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes—accurately or not—that he or she has violated a moral standard, and bears significant responsibility for that...
y, is sometimes one “found worthy to bear the suffering that instructs his fellows and for this service his reward is sure.”
The Healer gets the wife to turn her attention to what Job’s suffering has taught her about herself, for rather than deepening in compassion
Compassion
Compassion is a virtue — one in which the emotional capacities of empathy and sympathy are regarded as a part of love itself, and a cornerstone of greater social interconnection and humanism — foundational to the highest principles in philosophy, society, and personhood.There is an aspect of...
and love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
, she became a hypocrite, deceiving herself about her real motives, which have more to do with the loss of Job’s prosperity
Prosperity
Prosperity is the state of flourishing, thriving, good fortune and/or successful social status. Prosperity often encompasses wealth but also includes others factors which are independent of wealth to varying degrees, such as happiness and health....
. What she must learn is introduced in bits, for Job’s wife has a positive self-image and resists seeing her guilt and Job’s innocence
Innocence
Innocence is a term used to indicate a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, sin, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence refers to the lack of legal guilt of an individual, with respect to a crime.-Symbolism:...
.