REPRESENTASI KRITIK SOSIAL PADA NASKAH DRAMA MAHKAMAH KARYA ASRUL SANI

Abstract

: Literary works often reflect social dynamics and serve as a tool for critiquing various societal issues. The play Mahkamah by Asrul Sani is an example of a literary work that conveys social criticism through the representation of moral values, injustice, and societal conflicts. This study aims to analyze the representation of social criticism in Mahkamah using Stuart Hall's theory of representation and Solihat's (2017) approach to social criticism. The research method employed is descriptive qualitative with a text analysis approach. Data were collected through a thorough reading of the play’s script, identifying dialogues, characters, and symbols that depict social inequalities. The findings indicate that Mahkamah portrays the conflict between individuals and society, patriarchy, and the tension between traditional values and modernity. Moreover, the play addresses themes of justice, truth, and criticism of society and media, which often manipulate reality. Through symbolic representation and complex characters, Asrul Sani successfully conveys moral messages and social criticism relevant to contemporary issues, such as power disparity, abuse of authority, and the marginalization of certain groups. Mahkamah not only serves as an entertaining work of art but also functions as a tool to promote social change by delivering messages of justice and morality to the public.