Thursday, September 20, 2007
Between Anike and Antigone
If I have to choose between Anike by Wong Phui Nam and Antigone by Sophocles, the latter will be my choice without any hesitation. I know it is not fair to make a choice between these two plays since Anike is adapted from Antigone but suit with Malaysian context, however it is sad to say that the story failed to catch my attention. Yes, the language is not an old language likes Antigone’s but it is easy to understand rather than Anike. The speech for one character is too long and keeps repeating the same thing. Besides, poem style play is not worked for me. However, I should give credit to Wong Phui Nam because he willing to make the initiative for students to easy for them to understand Antigone but now in Malaysian context. They’ll understand easily because the story is taken from the legend of Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat with the Sultan of Malacca. The conflict involved in this legend is as the same as conflict with Antigone and also Haemon with Creon.
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2 comments:
We have the same feeling. for your information if I have to choose between Antigone by Sophocles and anike by Wong Pui Nam, I rather to choose Antigone.
As for me, the other play do not capture my interest because for some reasons, I felt that Wong Pui Nam try to copy Sophocles' masterpiece. when iread Anike i felt that I am reading Antigone. i knew that Anike is an adaptation from Antigone but for me it is unfair if he get royalty from this works. If like that, me too can create a play which the same conflicts like Antigone but change a little bit and suit to Malaysian culture. isn't it?
However, this view only comes from an ordinary people who still studying. This is only from my point of view which comes from my bottom of heart.
I agree with you Lenny, if I were to choose between Antigone and Anike, I too would have choose Antigone over Anike. But it doesn’t not mean that Anike is not a good play, it is a good and brilliant too but it just don’t appeal to me and you I suppose. I don’t feel the same feeling of intense, sorrow and sadness when I read Anike like the way I feel when reading Antigone. It’s true that the language is easier to understand as it was written in modern English; and the inclusion of the local culture are suppose to made us be more interested to the play but in my opinion we don’t prefer Anike because we already knew what the play is about since Anike is an adaptation of Antigone. and we knew what is going to happened in Anike so we don’t feel the same anticipation and curiosity when reading Anike. I think highly of Wong Phui Nam’s work. It was such a brilliant idea of adapting a foreign play and giving it a fresh look by adding Malaysian elements. I like what he did in Anike but I still prefer the original version of the play.
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