Discourses on Power in Perampok by W.S. Rendra and Die Räuber by Friedrich Schiller
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The play Perampok (1976) is W.S. Rendra’s adaptation of the play Die Räubes written by Friedrich Schiller (1781). Specifically, this article aims to compare the two plays by examining the discourse of power underlying family conflicts. The analysis employs Michel Foucault’s concept of power relations using the method of comparative literature. Among the findings from this analysis is that W.S. Rendra adapted the 18th-century German setting to the Javanese context of the Mataram era (17th century) by presenting a conflict within the household of the Duke of Lumajang (corresponding to the family of Count Maximilian von Moor in the source text). The conflict of interests that arises—Raden Sudrajat (Franz Moor)’s pursuit of power by any means necessary—becomes the source of the conflict. Consequently, the power relations present take the form of resistance against authority, giving rise to a discourse of resistance; the persecuted party is subjected to slander by Raden Sudrajat (Franz Moor), leading to their moral and social delegitimization.
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