Humanism Values in Thomas William Roberthson's Plays D'caste

Aida Syahputri Sihombing; Mia Elbinaria Purba; Rosa Linda; Tita Grace Sianipar; Syamsul Bahri

doi:10.59890/ijatss.v4i7.243

Authors

Aida Syahputri Sihombing Universitas Negeri Medan
Mia Elbinaria Purba Universitas Negeri Medan
Rosa Linda Universitas Negeri Medan
Tita Grace Sianipar Universitas Negeri Medan
Syamsul Bahri Universitas Negeri Medan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59890/ijatss.v4i7.243

Keywords:

Humanism, Thomas William Robertson, Plays D’ Caste

Abstract

Thomas William Robertson’s 1867 masterpiece, Caste, serves as a profound theatrical exploration of the human condition, prioritizing personal dignity, autonomy, and emotional bonds over rigid societal expectations. This comedy-drama dissects the friction between innate human desires and oppressive class hierarchies, demonstrating the inevitable collision between individual ideals and systemic authority. By portraying the turbulent journey of George D'Alroy and Esther Eccles, Robertson encapsulates core humanist tenets: love, empathy, and mutual understanding within a polarized society. This study aims to investigate the portrayal and operationalization of humanist values within the play's characters and dialogues to understand how human dignity can challenge systemic social barriers. This qualitative descriptive study applies Hardiman’s framework to analyze how dignity, liberty, and solidarity are operationalized through the characters' dialogues and interpersonal dynamics. The empirical analysis identifies six manifestations of humanist values: sacrifice (25%), caring for others (20%), cooperation (15%), appreciate opinions (15%), solidarity (15%), and helping (10%). Sacrifice emerges as the paramount driving force, vividly illustrated by George’s defiance of aristocratic norms and Esther’s resilient preservation of honor against poverty. Ultimately, Caste proves that empathy and open dialogue can triumph over institutionalized prejudice, making it an enduring testament to the timeless relevance of humanist philosophy

References

Anasari, S., & Ratnaningsih, D. (2024). Analysis of humanism values in the novel Bidadari Bermata Bening by Habiburrahman El Shirazy as an alternative for teaching materials in high school. International Journal of Education and Humanities, 4(1), 45-58.

Aristotle. (1996). Poetics (M. Heath, Trans.). Penguin Classics. (Original work published c. 335 BCE).

Bahri, Syamsul. et al. (2026). Humanism Values in William Shakespeare's Drama Romeo and Juliet. Jurnal Motivasi Pendidikan dan Bahasa. Vol. 4 No. 1

Bregman, R. (2021). Humankind: A hopeful history. Little, Brown and Company.

Copson, A., & Roberts, A. (2020). The little book of humanism. Piatkus.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2021). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). Sage Publications.

Dolan, J. (2020). The utopia in performance: Finding hope at the theater. University of Michigan Press.

Fischer-Lichte, E. (2020). The transformative power of performance: A new aesthetics. Routledge.

Freire, P. (2020). Pedagogy of the oppressed (50th Anniversary ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.

Fromm, E. (2021). The art of loving. Harper Perennial Modern Classics. (Original work published 1956).

Fromm, E. (2021). The art of loving. Harper Perennial Modern Classics.

Hardiman, F. B. (2012). Humanisme dan sesudahnya: Meninjau ulang martabat manusia. Kanisius. (International standard for Social Humanism discourse).

Hardiman, F. B. (2012). Humanisme dan sesudahnya: Meninjau ulang martabat manusia. Kanisius.

Lawrence, N. (2022). Humanism, drama, and performance: Unwriting theatre. Modern Drama, 65(2), 268-271. doi.org

Lehmann, H. T. (2020). Postdramatic theatre. Routledge.

Magelssen, S., & Lodewyck, L. A. (Eds.). (2024). Theater and human flourishing. Oxford University Press.

Magnis-Suseno, F. (2020). Ethics in a multicultural world. Oxford University Press (Global Edition).

Magnis-Suseno, F. (2021). Human dignity and moral awareness in modern philosophy. Springer Nature.

Malik, M. (2023). Humanism values in the film Freedom Writers and their relevance to humanistic learning concepts. International Journal of Social Science and Education Research, 6(2), 112-125.

Meinawati, E., et al. (2021). Humanism value of main character in War for Planet of the Apes movie. Journal of English Language and Literature, 6(1), 12-24.

Moulton, R. G. (2019). The ancient classical drama: A study in literary evolution. Wentworth Press.

Pavis, P. (2023). Dictionary of the theatre: Terms, concepts, and analysis. University of Toronto Press.

Purcell, S. (2021). Shakespeare and modern drama: Spaces of negotiation. Palgrave Macmillan.

Rahmansyah, A., et al. (2024). Humanism values in William Shakespeare's drama Romeo and Juliet. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI), 13(3), 01-09.

Robertson, T. W. (1867). Caste: An original comedy in three acts. Samuel French.

Sadeghi-Yekta, K., & Prendergast, M. (Eds.). (2021). Applied theatre: Ethics. Bloomsbury Academic.

Seaton, J. (2021). Literary criticism from Plato to postmodernism: The humanistic alternative. University of Notre Dame Press.

Siregar, F., et al. (2024). Analysis of humanism values in the film Mengejar Surga. Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, 12(4), 15-30.

Supriyanto, et al. (2022). The value of humanism in Andrea Hirata’s novel Orang-Orang Biasa. Journal of Language and Literature Studies, 11(2), 180-195.

Wellek, R., & Warren, A. (2020). Theory of literature. Mariner Books. (Updated International Edition).

Worthen, H. (2020). Humanism, drama, and performance: Unwriting theatre. Palgrave Macmillan.