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104 the HEROIC CHARACTER DECONSTRUCTION of BHARATAYUDHA WAR in MAHABHARATA EPIC Fransiska Olivia Sipota Christian Tritunggal Sc

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104 the HEROIC CHARACTER DECONSTRUCTION of BHARATAYUDHA WAR in MAHABHARATA EPIC Fransiska Olivia Sipota Christian Tritunggal Sc THE HEROIC CHARACTER DECONSTRUCTION OF BHARATAYUDHA WAR IN MAHABHARATA EPIC Fransiska Olivia Sipota Christian Tritunggal School E-mail [email protected] Abstract The Mahabharata is an epic story written by Vyasa. The story tells about the heroism of Pandavas which ended in their victory at the battle of Bharatayudha against the Kauravas. People believes that the Pandavas are heroes who become the core of the epic story. The interpretation of heroism of Pandavas are believed by people because they are the children of God. In addition the Pandavas are believed as the protagonist characters who are powerful than ordinary human, they are good and honest. Through decnstructin theory the writer reveals the other side of the Pandavas that is hidden behind their heroic action. By reading and looking for the minor texts in the story, the writer finds that the Pandavas are not as heroic as people think. There are many things that make them look as ordinary human that are far from heroic attitude. Whereas Kauravas who are considered as the cowards and they have a bad character, but they have the attitudes as a hero more than Pandavas. The writer finds the binary oppositions in the text to search for the faults of Pandavas and the of goodness Kauravas that will change the view of the two main characters in the story. By using the theory of deconstruction the writer can find other truths in the story of the epic Mahabharata. Keywords: deconstruction analysis, hero, heroism, Derrida, Mahabharata. because it shows people’s image. Some 1. INTRODUCTION literature can be formed into manuscripts Literature is a personal expression of or canon texts that are full of values and human life. It can be the experiences, beliefs, and those even be trusted that it feelings, thoughts, passions, ideas and really happened in the past. beliefs that are drawn through writings. Every nation has its own canon Literary work is created to be enjoyed, texts that create its cultures and ideal understood and utilized by the people history. The text can be an ideal history 104 because a canon which is read continually the other stories. (Mohan Ganguli, as a colossal story or epic tells about the 1896:33). glory of the heroes or gods. It makes the Mahabharata itself becomes ideal history becomes the only true Hinduism precept of four principle genuine history. purposes of life. Sugandhi (2005:62) said The people agree that the ideal the four principle purposes called Catur history is the standard values of all human Purusartha or Catur Warga; those are life. It is the climax of people pretention Karma, Artha, Dharma, and Moksa. The and tough accumulation to move with the central story of Mahabharata is values that is compromised among them. Bharatayudha war which is just like a great The stories inside the canon text are trusted civil war. In a word, Mahabharata tells as a life orientation that will always exist about conflict between Pandavas and their among the people. cousins, Kauravas. They fought each other One of the greatest canon texts that to seize the Hastina throne through the war. ever exist is Mahabharata epic story, a The war happened in Kurushetra field great work of Vyasa. It is a Hinduism which ran for 18 days. It involved almost sacred text just like Veda, Vedanta and the entire kingdoms in India, both minor Purana. This sacred text originally comes and large kingdoms. from India. The original work of it uses The five Pandavas are Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. Pandudevanata’s sons from his two wives, Mahabharata itself is divided into 18 Kunti and Madri. They are Yudhistira, sacred texts or they call as Astadasaparwa Bhima, Arjuna (from Kunti), Nakula and (asta=8, dasa=10, parwa=sacred text). Sadeva (from Madri). Actually, they are Every sacred text represents one heroism the avatar of gods. That is why they are story, but every story has a connection with very strong and kind. Yudhistira is well 105 known as the kindest person in the world. All the animosities are declared People say that in his whole life he never through their efforts to destroy the makes a mistake or sin. Some people also Pandavas. Everything they try to defeat say that because of his kindness, his blood Pandavas, but none of their efforts work is white which marks his holiness. well. The climax of their efforts to distract Bhima is known as a very strong the Pandavas and claim the throne of knight among his brothers. He is different Hastina is when they agreed to join the war from his brothers; he has cruel face, but his that they call Bharatayudha. In this war, heart is so kind. Arjuna is the most they gather the allies to win the war handsome man in the world. That is why knightly. Thousands people die to defend he has so many wives in his life. He is good their country. This is the greatest war that in archery. Nakula and Sadeva, the twin was ever told in the epic story. Because Pandavas, are the wise men. They are hard Bharatayudha does not only describe how worker and like to serve their older to fight each other, there is a value about brothers. the art of war, an idea of respect It is different how people usually intertwined with honor, demonstration of describe about Kauravas. They represent integrity, etc. the cowards and the wickedness. Although As it is known by public that in this they are the Pandavas’ cousins, Kauravas epic, Pandavas always become the have the bad characters. All that they do protagonists, but Kauravas always become are only the distractions. They are jealous the antagonists. Pandavas are considered with their cousins because in their view, as the knights, they are virtuous and wise. Pandavas have everything. They have No one deny it. But everything can be seen honor, the crown of the Hastina and love from various points of views. There is also from people and also gods. an opinion that says it is not fair for the 106 antagonists who are always bad in the an existing story line which we read. But, public opinion. No one is perfect; as a great literary work that has ever been everybody has the mistakes they ever made, it definitely has the great purposes made. or meanings behind it. Every word that is Pandavas is a hundred percent the already written can keep another meaning. ordinary human who are also full of mistakes, though they are told as the avatar 2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK of gods. Moreover, the gods in this epic The theories include the characters in the also do all kind of errors. In the other side, literature, post-structuralism theory, and the Kauravas also have their own virtue. deconstruction theory that influence the But people never see it as goodness; they characters in the Mahabharata epic. think nothing of the Kauravas. A. Character in Literature Mahabharata which are believed to When we discuss about be a basis of life tells about the heroic of literature, we often use literary terms Pandavas in the whole story. There is no like character, characteristic and harm if this epic says so; it teaches people characterization. Character is an that the good always conquers the evil, but imaginative person who inhabits a story. is too one-sided view if we think nothing They are the life of literature; they are the of the antagonists’ goodness and never objects of our curiosity and fascination, matter of the protagonists’ errors. The affection and dislike, admiration and antagonists will always be hated by people condemnation. As stated by Harmsworth, and will never be considered as a good “Character is a brief descriptive sketch of example to live the life. personage who typifies some definite Facts about the literature of quality. The person is describe not as an Mahabharata epic are not only limited by individualized personality but as an 107 example of some vice or virtue or type” and they can only be seen once in a while (1972: 21). But the usage of character term in the story itself in English literature has two different Based on the character, there are meanings. First is character as an protagonist and antagonist characters. individual figure of the story. Second is James L. Potter in the Element of translated as attitude, anxiety, emotion, Literature said that protagonist is someone desire and moral value of the individual or something that gets into pressure in the figures themselves. According to Stanton, story. The protagonist is a main character character can be meant as disposition in literary works that is able to raise (1956: 17). Sayuti explained that character sympathies of the readers. He also said that is fictional personage that experiences the the antagonist is the main person or things phenomenon in the story (1996: 43). that against the protagonist. The antagonist Nurgiyanto said that character is not always a human; basically it stands aimed at characteristic and attitude of the directly opposed to the protagonist and characters that is interpreted by the readers gives rise to the conflict of the story (1983: (2002: 165). It shows personal qualities of 23). the character in the story. We can say that antagonist does not Judging from the character‟s role necessarily have to be a person. It could be or importance in a story, characters are death, the devil, an illness, or any divided into the major/main characters and challenge that prevents the main character the minor/peripheral characters. The major from living happily.
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