DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjahss.2026.v14i03.001

Pages: 87-94

Violence characterizes some interaction between people, groups and communities from the family setting to the global stage. Verbal violence is one of the most common forms of violence across societies; and has far reaching consequences on both the receiver(s) and the perpetrator(s). This paper seeks to explore the revelation of verbal cruelty in Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again by Ola Rotimi. The question that guides this work is: how does Ola Rotimi present wordy assault in the play Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again? The hypothesis is based on the premise that the author exposes the ills of oral violence in different segments of society. This article makes use of the Social Conflict theory by Karl Marx to analyze the manifestation of rhetorical attack in the play in line with social, material and power considerations. The research concludes that Ola Rotimi highlights the damaging effects of verbal violence anchored on the dynamics of gender, resources and power in Our Husband Has Gone Mad Again at the family level and at the political arena. Therefore, Rotimi projects linguistic aggression as a symptom of malfunction at the family and political domains; but also, as an instrument of asserting power and dominance in these sectors. By offering insights into the intersection of (aggressive) language, power and agency, this article articulates how language was a key part of the sociopolitical dysfunction in post-independence Nigeria.