How Did Oroonoko Plan a Slave Revolt? 

Answer

How did Oroonoko plan a slave revolt? 

Aphra Behn’s (1640-1689) novella “Oroonoko” (1688) tells the sad story of an African prince named Oroonoko. He is captured and sold as a slave in Suriname. Oroonoko plans a slave revolt because he wants freedom for himself and all the slaves.

Gathering the Slaves: Oroonoko sees the cruel treatment of slaves and feels very sad. He knows that the white men will never keep their promises of freedom. So, he decides to fight for liberty. He secretly talks to the other slaves and gathers them together. They trust him because he is brave and a good leader.

His Speech: Oroonoko gives a strong speech to encourage the fellow slaves. He tells them:

“My dear friends and fellow-sufferers, should we be slaves to an unknown people?”

Oroonoko thinks they should not just accept the white colonists as their masters. Because they are betrayer. His words give hope to the slaves, and they agree to follow him.

The Plan of Escape: Oroonoko plans to lead the slaves into the forest. From there, they plan to escape to a place where they can live freely. They take some weapons and food with them. Oroonoko also hopes to fight the white men if they try to stop them. He believes it is better to die as a free man than to live as a slave.

Failure: However, Oroonoko’s slave revolt fails. He is caputured, punished severely, and killed.

“They cut off his Ears and his Nose, and burn’d them;”

Oroonoko’s tragic end shows the brutality of the slavery system.

In short, Oroonoko’s plan of the slave revolt shows his courage and leadership. He plans the revolt to get freedom and dignity for the slaves. It also shows that Oroonoko always fights for justice, even when the situation is difficult.