Various Interesting Terms to be Highlighted

Foreshadowing
In the dictionary of literary term, it means showing, indicating, or suggesting beforehand. In a literary work, foreshadowing provides a hint of what is to occur later. For instance, the early appearance, conversation, in Antigone when the scene between Haemon and his father, Creon, where he claims if Croen will do more mistakes than he is, he will no longer see him alive. Later, Haemon killed himself after the death of Antigone.

“No, you are wrong. Not at my feet. And never will you see eyes upon my face again. Rage, rave, with anyone who can bear to listen.” (Haemon, line 713-715,page 36)

Heuristic
An adjective applying to any course of action that stimulates interest, furthers investigation, and causes one to discover something for him/her. Heuristics, the science of technique of finding things, comes from a Greek term, meaning “to discover.” In literature, it is designed to enable readers to find out for themselves the real meaning of life and living. For instance, in Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw, we discover that Eliza Doolitle was actually angry to Prof. Higgins not because he treats her badly, but also he was ego enough to admit that he could not live on his own if she leaves him. He was hiding his true thoughts.

What is ‘Tragic Flaw’?

In previous class with Dr. Edwin, he did mention about the term to the class. As all of us listen to his explanation, he explains that it meant “the principal defect (weakness in character) which leads to destruction. When I study the term, I found out that it has same meaning as the Greek term which is hamartia. It means “fault,” which represents a fatal weakness that causes the downfall of a protagonist in tragedy. It is also equivalent to the meaning of “error of judgment.” It was first use by Aristotle (384-322) in the Poetics. For example, in Shakespeare’s King Lear, the misfortune of the main character is brought about Lear’s own folly by hand in his kingdom to his evil daughters and misjudges his own good daughter Cordelia. He was truly heart-broken by his daughter’s and leads to his insanity.

Anike – Wong Phui Nam’s own Original Playwright

Wong Phui Nam did Anike as he own playwright by putting on the setting of the play at the land of Malaya before the arrival of Islam. There are certain scene that consist the crucial part when Wanang Seri, Maniaka’s wife or in Antigone known as Eurydice, wife of Creon took her own life. The second scene is during the appearance of the seer, the living prophet Tok Seth, which can be offended to some group of people or any religion. But it is certainly his masterpiece had been well acknowledged by his followers. Here is the quote that I found in the internet.

‘Anike’, by Wong Phui Nam, is a unique Asian version of the play ‘Antigone’ of ancient Greek playwright Sophocles.” - Description taken from www.capepoetics.com

To me, having our own Antigone’s version is better for us to describe the situation and be more apprehend by local play artists and critics. It is like he instill the ‘spirit’ of our culture inside the play and it portray the royal conflict that had a tragic end.

Antigone – Anike in Sophocles’s Greek Theater Play and Wong Phui Nam’s Play

In Antigone by Sophocles, some of the characters existed are Antigone, Creon King of Thebes, her sister Ismene, the two brothers who slaughtered each other, Polyneices and Eteocles. While in Anike by Wong Pui Nam, the characters that took similar role in this play are Anike, Maniaka the Raja, Yasmine, Anike’s sister, the two brothers of Anike one who died in the other’s hand and the other was sentence to death by Maniaka the Raja, Sirat and Wira. The sequence of the play in Anike, they do have lots of similarity in Sophocles’ Antigone. All of the characters also play the same part, only switching their names.
The main characters like Antigone – Anike and Ismene – Yasmine have similar roles but the difference is only Yasmine suggest to Anike to cut down the rope that hang their brother’s corpse, Sirat from the tree and do a proper burial.
The similarity between the character Antigone and Anike is that the character had a very strong will to bury their dead brother. Both characters had strong determined to ensure the brother’s body was buried.