Ethical Values of Malangan Shadow Puppet Show from East Java in the Lakon of Kalakerna Gugat
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HARMONIA : Journal of Arts Research and Education 14 (2) (2014), 107-114 p-ISSN 1411-5115 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/harmonia e-ISSN 2355-3820 DOI: 10.15294/harmonia.v14i2.3292 ETHICAL VALUES OF MALANGAN SHADOW PUPPET SHOW FROM EAST JAVA IN THE LAKON OF KALAKERNA GUGAT Sudarsono Indonesia Institute of Arts, Surakarta, Jl. Ki Hajar Dewantara 19 Surakarta, Indonesia E-mail: [email protected] Received: September 22, 2014. Revised: October 5, 2014. Accepted: November 13, 2014 Abstract There are many values which an artist wants to express through a shadow puppet show in order to attract the attention of the audience. Malangan shadow puppet show acts not only as an entertainment but also as a guidance for character education. In the story of Kalakerna Gugat, ethical and aesthetic values in the story are in the form of etiquette in the dialogues or the characters. The value of having rights after completing duties becomes guidance for nobleness. Equality between rights and duties demanded by Kalakerna and propriety of characters are expressed straight to the point and they are easy to understand as well as entertaining. Impropriety in the world is critically corrected. Bethara Guru Dewa, the tritagonist, felt that he made a mistake by arranging life unjustly so that he was reminded by Kalakerna and had to agree with his request to keep the justice and preserve the world. Keywords: aesthetic values; ethical; kalakerna gugat; malangan; shadow puppet How to Cite: Sudarsono. (2014). Ethical Values of Malangan Shadow Puppet Show from East Java in the Lakon of Kalakerna Gugat. Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education, 14(2), 107-114. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.15294/ harmonia.v14i2.3292 INTRODUCTION ce value, and religious value. In a show which is held in the interest of an institu- Lakon (story) of a shadow puppet tion, ethical value is emphasized so that it show is a construction of scene structure is understood by all the audience. Enter- which elaborates a sequence of intercon- tainment value is important in every pub- nected events. Lakon of Malangan shadow lic show because the show must be inter- puppet show is different from Surakartan esting and entertaining so that it can make pakeliran. In terms of acts or pathet pakeli- them happy and refresh their minds after ran, Malangan style consists of five acts, working hard all day long. Ethical value in namely Talu pathet sepuluh as the first, pa- lakon Kalakerna performed in ISI Surakar- thet wolu as the second, Pathet Sanga as the ta was carefully portrayed. For example, third, Pathet Wolu miring as the fourth, and in the first jejer in the hermitage in Ga- pathet serang as the fifth. jahmungkur cave, Begawan Kumbareksa The Malangan shadow puppet show was visited by his three children, Raden contains various fundamental values in Wongsatanu, Tanujanma, & Gajahsena. At human life, some of which are known as that meeting, Begawan Kumbareksa asked character education value known as ethi- them why they came to the cave. After his cal value, entertainment value, performan- three children told him what they felt, Be- 107 108 HARMONIA : Journal of Arts Research and Education 14 (2) (2014): 107-114 gawan Kumbereksa granted their request. or etiquette in social life. As an order, the Then, his three children left to each of their show demonstrates norms and rules which own destination. In the firstjejer there were should be done. Ethical values are often ethical values from a Begawan (a priest called as etiquette, philosophy of attitude, in Hindu) and his three children. The co- or moral philosophy. Etiquette is also kno- ming of Kalakerna after the three children wn as the theory of a good life and the the- left made Kumbareksa surprised. Kalaker- ory of good and bad. Virtues are intended na wanted to criticize Gods in the heaven to be the means of reaching prosperity and for being unjust. Kalakerna wanted to show happiness. Good things should be reached how unjust the rights, duties, and justice by doing something good. Human beings of Gods were. He said, “salahe barang sing must behave well according to the norms ora bener, ning benere barang sing boten sa- in each society. lah” (the fault belongs to what is wrong, There are two kinds of virtue. The and the goodness belongs to what is not first is extrinsic virtue, which is a means wrong) (Sudarsono, 2004, p. 142). of achieving something like money, cars, Ethical values in lakon Kalakerna Gu- job, or physical appearance. The second is gat was very interesting for being examin- intrinsic virtue, which is good by itself. It ed. The problems were how the analysis comes from good attitudes, such as justi- of the characters was and how the ethical ce, harmony, happiness, safety, peace, and values in the story were. humanity (Subandi, 2011, p. 71). There are often differences of social Ethical and Aesthetic Values norms, attitudes, and views when an indi- Value is the idealization of good in- vidual is in a society. Those differences can tention desired by human beings to reach lead to disputes and conflicts. Every mem- nobleness. Ethical values are related to ber of a society has social responsibilities in virtues and good attitude, which repre- addition to personal ones. Norms in social sent the whole personality. For Javanese relationship prevent conflicts of interest. people, the values are reflected in attitude If someone does wrong, others can decide and personality in social life. Ethical va- that he is wrong and he will be punished. lues are the standard of human attitude. He can apologize and fix everything. How- According to Suseno (1996, p. 39) there are ever, if someone violates moral norms or two principles which define social patterns etiquette, he will be declared as an immo- in Javanese society, namely harmony and ral person. Violating social norms is diffe- respect. Harmony means living peacefully rent from violating moral norms. Immoral without any conflicts and being united to people will be expelled from his society, help each other. Respect means that eve- and this kind is punishment is more severe ryone must behave properly according to since it is related to his personality. his/her rank, for a society is arranged in Every individual has rights in the so- a hierarchy and everyone must follow and cial life, but he also has some duties to do. keep it. Someone with higher social rank Rights are demands of every human being should be respected by those from lower which need to be achieved by hard work. ranks (Suseno, 1996, p. 60). According to Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia The guidance for proper attitude (2001, p. 382) right refers to correct, belon- is often given through a shadow puppet ging, authority, demand, rank, power to show. As a performance, shadow puppet do something because of the constitution, show has aesthetic values which please and authority to take legal action. Rights and entertain its audience. The show has are gained after someone has completed values of entertainment, guidance and his/her duties. If he/she does not perform order (Solichin, 2007, p. 75). As an enter- his/her duties, it will be difficult for him/ tainment, the show entertains people. As her to get his/her rights. Human rights guidance, the show gives ethical values are inherent rights of all citizens because Sudarsono, Ethical Values of Malangan Shadow Puppet Show From East Java In The Lakon 109 of their nature as God’s creation. Human be considered unethical. In lakon Kalakerna rights must not be taken away from any- Gugat, many characters behaved different- way even by a country. One of the examp- ly because they thought that certain ethical les of human rights is the right to live. values had to be kept, like how Kala Kerna Obliged means something which asked Bethara Guru Dewa for his promise. must be done and cannot be ignored. Whi- Nearly similar moral values were also rep- le duty means something which is obliged resented by almost all characters: antago- to do, an obligation (KBBI, 2001, p. 1266). nists, tritagonists or protagonists. In a bigger society like a country, the du- ties of the citizen must be performed. In Etiquette is a Moral Principle in Shadow relation to social life, if rights and duties Puppet Shows have been completed, there will be harmo- In Javanese people’s view, etiquette ny, peace, and justice. Justice comes from is often related to aesthetics and logic. A the word just. Moral justice means balance, good thing is considered correct, and it is equality, and harmony. To be just means also considered beautiful. Javanese peop- to be equal in terms of rights and duties. le consider that God, society, the universe, The manifestation of justice in social life is and human beings are a unity (Ciptoprawi- social justice, where there are balance and ro, 1986, p. 22 & Suseno, 1996, p. 85). Life is harmony between rights and duties. Justi- aimed to achieve perfect happiness. In or- ce of an individual occurs between physi- der to do so, there are various ways depen- cal and mental abilities, between the role ding on someone’s ability. A knight has to as an autonomous individual and a perfect perform his duty to achieve the perfection creation of God, and among the elements and be united with the Creator, while a of human soul such as ratio, feeling, and priest isolates himself in a hermitage and desires, among material elements such live peacefully. In order to reach the goal as earth, fire, water, and wind, as well as of life, etiquette is needed, as illustrated in between plants with no souls and animals a shadow puppet show (Abdullah, 1986, p.