By Errol Hill

› The first version of Man Better Man was written in vernacular

prose and devoid of music. After it went a considerable
amount of revision it was rewritten in calypso verse and also
music and song lyrics were added.
› The plot of the play was changed drastically from a revenge
play to an ingenious comedy with music and dancing.
› Stick fighting is a sport that is known around the Caribbean
which was practiced by slaves and thought to have originated
from West Africa. Man Better Man was written based on
historical events in Trinidad.
› “Their exploits and the prowess displayed by their champions
are vividly recalled by devotes of the sports and have survived
as oral history”
› In the city and small towns stickmen would come together to
form bands. They would regularly go out the streets in the early
morning hours of the carnival shouting at their rivals to accept
their challenge. But due to the police trying to intercept the
stick fighters in 188. A riot broke out forcing the bands to break
off.
› Louis D. Mitchel, after reading the play said that some part of
the play was related to a medieval courtly life. For example the
fight between Tim Briscoe and Tiny Satan shows a medieval
tournament whose rules are governed by rigid ritualistic
customs.

› “ The fighter is a true hero, like Beowulf or Achilles, who

embodies not only the primitive drive of the islanders, but also
the qualities which they esteem most highly, physical courage,
prowess in battle, personal honor. The reigning champion
becomes a personification of the communal ideal.
› The Obeahman whose name is Diable Papa. He is well known
in the gallery of Caribbean Originals. The villagers believe in
his proverbial powers to foretell the future. He is feared by the
villagers and most of all he takes advantage of a customer
who insists in treatment even thoe the Obeahman knows its
hopeless.
› Minnie Woopsa was raised by the Obeahman. Thanks to this
she studied the magical arts and is very knowledgeable about
herbs and their uses. She is the only character in the play who
can communicate with the supernatural.
› The Portuguese shopkeeper was an outsider who adopted to
the native customs and is interested in local superstition. This
causes him to become a focal point of opposition to the
Obeahman. For him the people were not “ niggers” or for them
he was “whitey”. Which shows the multiracial nature of Trinidad
society.

› The other women in the play just want to get married and
settle down. But in the meantime would just enjoy watching
the masculine world of gallant stickmen.
› The author wrote the play “ Man Better Man” as an
experiment as in putting music, song and dance all
crammed together into dramatic action. The music
used was based on traditional folksong and original
pieces composed by the author. Man Better Man was
also written to celebrate the certain aspects of the
folk experience, which under colonial rule were at
one time denigrated and which nowadays provide
the means for emergence of a national culture.