PARLIAMENT OF OWLS ESSAY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

PARLIAMENT OF OWLS ESSAY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS [PDF]

Wafula Wekati

PARLIAMENT OF OWLS ESSAYS AND ANSWERS 

Bad governance can lead to the downfall of a government.  Write an essay to support this statement citing illustrations from Adipo Sidang's play Parliament of Owls.

A major undoing for most dictatorial governments is ruling against the wishes of the people. When citizens get tired, they overthrow the leaders of such a government ultimately resulting in its downfall.

Parliament of owls lacks inclusivity and power is controlled exclusively by the owls. Royal Owl, Money Bags and other owls have the monopoly of power. Red String claims that night birds and omnivores will always rule, with owls at the helm. The day birds and grain-eaters will never have a chance to run the kingdom. The owls are also immune to the laws. They are arrogant because they wield the instruments of power. Parliament of owls only serves the owls. Money Bags says that the revered trees of owls are for the chosen few. Not all birds can access it. The owls believed that God chose them to rule the Kingdom because of their intelligence. Other birds like Sparrow, Weaver, Ostrich, Guinea fowl, Parrot, Crested crane among others decide to form a coalition to fight against owls who are arrogant and greedy. Some owls like Iron Lady and Feathered Beak are ready to fight against the backwardness of parliament of owls. Birds can be heard singing freedom songs planning to stage a struggle for freedom against the owls. Even night birds plan a demonstration at parliament of owls and royal trees to fight against the oppressive Moonlight Law and other bad laws. They chant anti-owl slogans. This is because they are tired of bad leaders like Money Bags. The once powerful Money Bags is relieved of all his duties and is arrested unceremoniously. When the golden beads are stolen, parliament of owls crumbles. Without the beads Royal Owl is powerless. Even Police Owl ignores him. Eventually he is chased out of parliament of owls as he gives out a cowardly cry. Oyundi is crowned queen. Bad governance results in the downfall of most dictatorial regimes. (2-3, 7, 11, 15, 24, 42, 44, 46, 50, 56-57, 58, 118, 120, 123-125, 128)

Dictatorial governments usually collapse because of their inkling of passing bad laws which oppress citizens. In Parliament of Owls, the laws favor owls. The owls ban moonlight twittering past 6 p.m. and flying from tree to tree. They remain immune to these oppressive laws. Red String plans to ban hammering at the trees to frustrate Tel Tel who refused to work with parliament of owls by sneaking in a clause in the laws which would outlaw the activity. The moonlight bill, sponsored by Money Bags with the blessings of Royal Owl, would impose a curfew forcing all birds to sleep by sunset. Only the two leaders and their cronies enjoy the benefits of the bill and the resultant tax that will go to royal trees. The bill undermines the rights of other night birds that twitter in the moonlight and omnivores that hunt at night, introduces illegal taxes and gags any opposition. The law allows money Bags to loot. It gives room for robbery, violence and assassinations. Money Bags organised snakes to raid birds nests and steal their eggs creating insecurity and introducing the Law of Bird Protection for his own benefit. The birds suffer because any bird found flouting the law would be arrested. The birds organized a demonstration styled ‘Moonlight protest’ to protest against the Moonlight Bill outside parliament. They plan a fully fledged struggle for freedom against the owls. Demonstrations against Moonlight Law and other laws contribute to the downfall of parliament of owls. Oyundi vows to fight against all the bad laws and make the kingdom great again. She comes up with a plan to unite the oppressed birds with a view of toppling the oppressive regime and changing the laws to have fair representation. Money Bags and Royal Owl are toppled. Money Bags is arrested. Parliament of owls scrambles because of passing laws that go against the wishes of the people and only benefit the ruling elite. (P3, 6-7, 16-17, 21, 31-34, 36-37, 40, 42, 44, 52, 66, 69, 72, 74-75, 92)

Some governments fall because of unlawful arrest and detentions of dissenting citizens. Tel Tel is arrested when she refuses to work with the owls. She is accused of treason. Arum Tidi tells Red String to arrest Tel Tel on a trumped up charge of sound pollution. Money Bags orders that Oyundi is arrested. The new laws passed by the parliament of owls make citizens susceptible to arrests, in the event that they flout any section of it. Money Bags and Royal Owl use Police Owl to intimidate and arrest anyone who refuses to play ball; for example, Tel Tel, Feathered Beak and Iron Lady. Veteran P, a journalist, has been arrested several times thanks to what Money Bags feels is irresponsible reporting especially, the call for fairness and an attack of the idea of hooting and looting. When Tel Tel escapes from detention, Royal Owl proclaims that she is wanted, dead or alive, promising to reward anyone who brings her to him.  Downcast citizens like Oyundi, Tel Tel and others orchestrate a takeover that results in the downfall of the government. Money Bags is relieved of all his duties, stripped of his royal titles and state commendations, arrested and cuffed by two Police Owls. His accomplices are also bound to serve life in prison for treason. Ultimately, Royal Owl also falls and his futile attempt to have Oyundi arrested bears no fruit. He is chased out of parliament and his position is taken over by his arch nemesis, Oyundi. (P 13-14, 16-17, 47, 74-75, 79, 84, 98-99, 103, 106, 112, 117, 120, 124)

Run away murder and assassination can result in the collapse of some governments. Parliament of owls falls because it does nothing to curb the killing and murdering of day birds and grain-eaters which is orchestrated by omnivores and night birds. Python acts as the hangman for the owls. Thirty three weavers are massacred by the ruling elite. There are plans to kill birds that have taken a stand to fight for good governance like Straight Eyed. Money Bags and Royal Owl are responsible for the massacre of the weavers. Those who oppose their bad governance are tortured and murdered at royal trees. When parliament of owls falls, Osogo dedicates that day to all his relatives killed in cold blood by Money Bags and his goons. A moment of silence is observed for all birds killed in the struggle including Arum Tidi and Osogo’s kin. Owls use Arum Tidi to spread propaganda but have a plan to kill him afterwards. One Eyed is contracted to kill him. They make it seem like he committed suicide. Nightingale was under instructions not to use the ambulance for seven days. Arum Tidi was killed because he had a damaging dossier on a scandal that implicates Money Bags and royal trees. They kill him because they feel he is a traitor. This leads to the downfall of parliament of owls. Money Bags loses his power and prestige when he is relieved of all his duties and stripped of all his titles and commendations. He is cuffed and arrested. Royal Owl loses his powers when Oyundi and her associates get hold of  the golden bead. Royal Owl becomes powerless and is humiliated when is chased out of parliament. The birds sing a sarcastic song to mock Royal Owl after his downfall. (P 3-4, 9, 13, 34, 36, 42, 52, 59, 61, 64-65, 72, 114, 123, 127-128)

In conclusion, the downfall of many bad governments results from opposition fuelled by bad governance.

PARLIAMENT OF OWLS ESSAYS AND ANSWERS 

Citing illustrations from Parliament of Owls by Adipo Sidang’, write an essay to show that bad leaders use oppressive means to govern. 

When dictators assume power, they do everything they can to oppress their subjects and retain their power. Royal Owl and Money Bags are examples of bad leaders who use various oppressive techniques to rule.

Bad leaders oppress their citizens by murdering or assassinating some of them. Owls are notorious for killing grain-eaters and day birds. They punish their enemies by tying them and throwing them into Python’s cave. Python is the hangman who runs the gallows. Osogo's kin are murdered in what comes to be known as the ‘weaver massacre’. Thirty three weaver birds were killed. Straight Eyed reveals that there is a plan to kill birds that stand for good governance. The mercenaries include Python and Olik Tiga. When Oyundi takes over Parliament of Owls and style it Flock of Birds, Osogo dedicates that day to his relatives who were killed in cold blood by Money Bags and his goons under the instructions of Royal Owl. A moment of silence is observed to honour the departed souls. Bad leaders like Royal Owl and Money Bags kill innocent birds. They use Arum Tidi to spread propaganda but when they have no use for him, they get One Eyed to eliminate him. He is killed because he had a damning dossier that implicated Money Bags and Royal Trees. He is given a proper burial and honoured by the ruling owls to hoodwink the other birds. Indeed bad leaders use oppressive means like assassination to govern. (P3-4, 9, 13, 34, 52, 59, 114, 123, 127-128)

Bad leaders also use unjust laws to oppress citizens. The owls are the ruling elite. They make laws only to break them. They pass bad laws to favour them. Red String says that the owls are above the law. Some of the laws are oppressive; for example, they plan to ban hammering at trees and to introduce a fee to be paid by any bird that does so. This is to frustrate birds like Osogo.  Arum Tidi advises Red String to sneak this oppressive clause into their laws. Money Bags sponsors an oppressive bill christened Moonlight Bill. If it becomes a law, a curfew will be imposed forcing all birds to sleep by sunset. They also plan to ban flying from tree to tree and moonlight twittering. The law strangely allows Money Bags to assume the role of speaker in order to pass critical bills like the Moonlight Bill. Only the ruling elite like Royal Owl, Money Bags and their stooges stand to benefit from the Moonlight bill and Moonlight tax which goes to Royal Trees.  The law helps to aid theft, robbery and looting by Money Bags. It also undermines the rights of birds that twitter in the moonlight and omnivores that hunt in the night. The committee of vultures which is in bed with Royal Owl is the team that listens to petitions by birds that try to oppose such bills. The laws are unjust towards day birds like Osogo and Oyundi since birds that flout the law are to be arrested. Activists like Oyundi fight against bad laws like Moonlight law, Fried Frogs for Owls law and the law of Bird Protection. She proposes that they change their laws. (P1, 3, 6, 16-17, 21-22, 30, 32, 34, 36, 40, 42, 44, 52, 66, 69, 72, 74-75, 92)

Bad leaders like Money Bags and Royal Owl arrest those who disagree with them. Tel Tel is arrested and charged for treason for refusing to work with owls. Arum Tidi suggests that they arrest Tel Tel and unlawfully charge her for sound pollution. Money Bags orders for the arrest of Oyundi. She is wanted dead or alive. She’s accused of embarrassing the king on a number of occasions. Any bird that flouts any section of the new law was to be arrested. Oyundi is arrested but manages to secure amnesty after signing a pact with Royal Owl. Police Owl arrests Tel Tel. Money Bags and Royal Owl use police owl to arrest anyone who disagrees with them. Journalists like Veteran P have been arrested several times. Tel Tel escapes from her detention and Royal Owl declares that she is wanted dead or alive. Leaders like moneybags and Royal Owl use arrests as a tool to intimidate and frustrate their opponents. (P9, 13, 14, 17, 47, 74-75, 79, 84, 98, 103, 106, 112, 117, 124)

Introduction of punitive taxes and levies is another way that bad leaders oppress their citizens. The owls introduce daily Moonlight tax to be used to pay Owls that supervise and take roll calls. Red String proposes that the tax can be called a tithe to make the birds think that they are contributing to the gods. Tel Tel feels it is a way of extorting money from the birds. The owls lie that the tax will be partly used to feed sick and old birds as part of the welfare. They even plan to collect a levy from birds going about normal activities like hammering at trees. This is meant to frustrate day birds like Tel Tel who refuses to work with the owls. The taxes go to Royal Trees and only benefit the likes of Royal Owl, Money Bags and their cronies. The other birds do not benefit at all. Rebel owls oppose the idea of introducing illegal taxes at a time when the birds are faced with imminent hunger. (P8-10, 16, 30, 33)

Bad leaders spread misleading information to promote their political cause. Owls offer to pay Tel Tel to spread propaganda. They plan to introduce oppressive laws that ban moonlight twittering and flying from tree to tree. They are immune to the laws and above the law. They also plan to introduce illegal taxes to take care of their allowances. Red String wants Tel Tel to use her gift of the gab to spread propaganda painting the oppressive laws in good light. The tax is supposed to be called a tithe and is supposedly meant to help protect the kingdom. It will also be used supposedly for the welfare of sick and old birds. Tel Tel is adamant to take up this responsibility because owls once made her spread propaganda about Osogo only to go ahead and massacre his family. She thus lost her integrity. Arum Tidi is also used to spread propaganda for Royal Trees. He is supposed to go around praising Parliament of Owls for the safety of all birds, Royal Owl and the Moonlight Bill. Feathered Beak calls out Money Bags and his puppets for hiring Arum Tidi to spread cheap lies and propaganda hence confusing night birds and omnivores and painting the good owls in bad light. (P6-8, 10-11, 27, 21, 34)

Bad leaders also use threats and intimidation to gag their rivals. Red String warns Tel Tel of dire consequences if she fails to help them spread propaganda. He tells her that she is living on borrowed time. He is giving her a chance to live longer than she should. Money Bags asks Red String to order Tel Tel to carry out his directive or else she would not live to tell the tale. Royal Owl threatens to kill Osogo for playing his flute. Royal Owl and Money Bags also use Police Owl to intimidate their enemies including Tel Tel,  Iron Lady, Feathered Beak, Oyundi among others. (P8, 10-11, 46, 58)

In conclusion, oppressive regimes use dictatorial means to govern, intimidate and gag anyone who seems to oppose the leadership.

PARLIAMENT OF OWLS ESSAYS AND ANSWERS 

Citing illustrations from Parliament of Owls by Adipo Sidang’, write an essay to show that arrogance leads to a downfall.

Some people bear an attitude of superiority or self-importance and show little consideration for other people. Such a condescending attitude can lead to loss of power, status or prosperity.

Money Bags' downfall is as a result of his arrogance. He is a powerful and authoritative figure in the parliament of owls. He claims the reign of Royal Owl should be smooth and eternal. He sponsors a bill that benefits only the ruling elite. He claims that hornbills like Arum Tidi are not even half of what owls are. He says that parliament of owls is revered and is for the chosen few so hopeless little birds like Oyundi cannot access it. Money Bags is Royal Owl's blue eyed bird. Royal Owl trusts him and listens to him. He claims he is the second most decorated owl in history. He proposes that parliament of owls needs a loyalty pledge. All the birds should praise the owls and worship Royal Owl and Money Bags. Money Bags has the powers to order Police Owl to arrest other birds. He is elated when he says Osogo is singing in praise of owls. His downfall begins when birds form a coalition to fight against the arrogance of owls. When Oyundi paints him as a traitor, he falls out of favour with Royal Owl. He cowers when Royal Owl orders him to shut up. He is relieved of all his duties, stripped of all his titles and state commendations and arrested. All his accomplices are sentenced to life imprisonment. He is later killed. (P11, 23, 35, 30, 50-52, 64, 93, 96, 98, 100, 115, 117, 120, 122, 124)

Royal Owl, Tula Nyongoro, the King of the Birds falls from grace because of his pride. He is a powerful king and most owls pledge their loyalty to him. He says owls are the only birds that can fly highest in the night. That gods created them intelligent and chose them to rule the Kingdom because of their intelligence. When he arrives at the parliament carried by Puppet Owls, everybody rises to the kingdom’s anthem to mark his arrival. Royal Owl declares that he will rule until he dies for the sake of peace and prosperity of the Kingdom. Because of such arrogance and pride, the other birds form a coalition to overthrow the owls.  Royal Owl's powers are stored in the golden bead which gives him the wisdom and power to govern all birds. Without it he loses the power to lead. When he orders Police Owl to arrest Oyundi and send her to Python’s land, Police Owl does not comply. Royal Owl is now powerless. Oyundi then pounces on him and he makes a cowardly cry and scampers for safety. Oyundi manages to overthrow Royal Owl and take over power. (P11, 22, 55-56, 107, 118, 124-125)

Arum Tidi is a witty propagandist of royal trees who is blessed with the gift of the gab but his arrogance leads to his downfall. He says that he does not sing. He only blows his own trumpet to which Tel Tel replies that she detests arrogance. He welcomes Red String to witness as he showcases his wits. He also reminds him not to trust “these” small birds. When Red String calls him a smart fellow, he says, “Of course I am … as always. Old is always gold”. He proudly calls himself “Honourable Arum Tidi, the honourable hornbill”. When the owls realize that Arum Tidi knows too much, they conspire to use him to spread propaganda and later kill him. They are dismayed that he averred that the Moonlight Law will protect the hornbills too. They plan to bar him from Royal Trees and also to refuse to pay him. Eventually, they enlist the services of One Eyed Owl who kills Arum Tidi. (P 14-15, 17, 37-38, 42, 61)

Socialite Owl is the highhanded secret lover to Money Bags. She posits that owls are superior and is offended when Iron Lady compares them to chickens which she says are cowardly. Arrogantly, she cautions her against comparing Money Bags to lily-livered chickens. At the climax of their spat, together with Red String, she drags Iron Lady from the floor and kicks her out of the chamber. She calls Arum Tidi crazy for saying the Moonlight Law will also protect the hornbills. Her downfall comes with the collapse of the rule of owls. The birds gang up to overthrow the owls because of their arrogance. Royal Owl sentences all accomplices to Money Bags including, Socialite Owl, to life imprisonment. (P11, 28-29, 35, 37, 122)

Red Strings is a powerful sycophant and the King’s advisor whose arrogance contributes to his downfall. He comes out before dusk in contravention to the rules but he says rules are there to be broken. He tells Osogo that owls will rule for many generations from now and may never be overthrown. Owls will be at the helm because they have the largest eyes and day birds and grain eaters will never have a chance to run the Kingdom - only night birds and omnivores can. Tel Tel tells him that some birds have formed a coalition to save the Kingdom owing to the arrogance of Parliament of Owls. Red String tells Arum Tidi about a book written by Royal Owl, claiming it is meant only for owls because it is coded and has deep vocabulary. Red String makes it clear that the Moonlight Law is meant to protect owls only, not other birds like hornbills. He also enforces unfair laws that favour owls and night birds and restricts movements of other birds. His downfall comes with the fall of the rule of owls. Royal Owl sentences all accomplices to Money Bags, including Red String, to life imprisonment. When he makes this declaration, Police Owl looks at the Puppet Owls and signals them to move away from the throne. (P1, 2-3, 5, 11, 16, 18, 20, 35, 37, 75, 122)

In conclusion, pride goes before a fall. People that feel superior to others ultimately lose their power, money or status.

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