can also be derived from his habit. He usually works till the evening where the old lamp which accompanies the family can be seen from far.
“To deem that he was old,-in shepherd’s phrase, With one foot in the grave.”
Stanza 2, lines 89-90.
“There by the light of this old lamp they sate,” Stanza 3, line 124.
Michael also has an old style. His life is with ancient style of a shepherd which is not colorful and monotonous. It happened before the coming of his wife and
his son. His life concerns with the nature not with the style of the common people. He cannot be noticed with what happened in the actual culture events, but he cares with
the actual nature events in his environment so much. “Down from the ceiling, by the chimney’s edge,
That in our ancient uncouth country style With huge and black projection overbrowed
Large space beneath, as duly as the light” Stanza 3, lines 110-113.
Michael is a hard worker. He does anything for his family. He always tries to
do the best he can do. This is also as the habit of his family. Michael usually works from morning till late in the evening. When at home in the night, he still does
something useful and he helps his wife. “Living a life of an eager industry…”
Stanza 3, line 122. His wife and his son make him always in a high spirit of life. He loves his
wife much but his love for Luke is bigger. The presence of Luke is something new PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
for Michael. He has a ‘raw material’ that is needed to be formed. Since the birth of Luke, he teaches everything that he knew to him. He is the parent which has the
responsibility. Luke is the center of his life. Luke is his life. Michael put a big hope on Luke.
“The shepherd, if he loved himself, must need have loved his helpmate; but to Michael’s hearth,
this son of his old age yet more dear.” Stanza 4, lines 141-143.
B. The Contributions of the Other Characters in Developing the Main
Character’s Tragedy 1.
Isabel
Isabel is Michael’s wife. She is younger than him. She is a good woman, a good wife for Michael.
“His helpmate was a comely matron, old- Though younger than himself full twenty years.
She was a woman of a stirring life, Whose heart was in her house…”
Stanza 3, lines 88-82. She does not realize that her presence later will lead Michael to the tragedy.
Michael as the tragic hero is started when he meets her. She sacrifices too much for him. She works very hard from morning till late of the night to do the household
matters for Michael. She works harder because Michael is too old to do everything. She is late to meet and in love with him. This is the unrealized mistakes of both of
them. She also gives another color in Michael’s life. She comes as a new thing in his life although later it becomes a tragedy because of the late meeting.
“Of day grew dim the Housewife hung a lamp, An aged utensil, when ha performed
Service beyond all others of its kind. Early at evening did it burn-and late”
Stanza 3, lines 114-117.
Isabel gives Luke as a beautiful present for him in the beginning. The presence of her and Luke do not be treated well by Michael in the actual
environment. She gives Luke as hopes but also as an object of Michel’s obsession. Luke will be the successor of Michael. She also does not think of Luke’s education
because she also works too much. “Nor cheerful, yet with objects and with hopes,
Living a life of eager industry” Stanza 4, lines 121-122.
She is a good wife for Michael because she does everything to please him
and this is not good. Michael becomes the object of her love but he does not show love as that much to her. This is also an unrealized mistake that is never touched by
Isabel. She does not ask for the responsibility of treating her. Michael earns much more care with Luke and nature than with her. In running the family life, she has
bigger role. Another mistake is her decision to agree to send Luke to the city. Her
agreement is based on her imagination and her past memory of Richard’s success PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
story. She also thinks shortly and has an equal comparison between Luke and Richard.
“Thee thoughts, and many others of like sort, Passed quickly through the mind of Isabel,
And her face brightened..” Stanza 12, lines 271-273.
Actually she realizes the tragedy which will happen because of her instinct as
a mother and a woman. She realizes that Michael will die without of Luke near present. She does not reveal it to Michael but only to Luke. It is also unrealized
mistake because Luke also does nothing with this warning. “And when they rose at morning she could see
That all his hopes were gone. That day at noon She said to Luke, while they two by themselves
Were sitting at the door, ‘Thou must not go: We have no other Child but thee to lose,
None to remember-do not go away, For if thou leave thy father he will die.’
Stanza 14, lines 292-301.
2. Luke
Luke is Michael’s only son. His presence is very worthy for Michael but his presence is also late. He comes when Michael is already very old.
“An only Child, who had been born to them When Michael, telling o’er his years, began
To deem that he was old,-in shepherd’s phrase, With one fot in the grave.”
Stanza 3, lines 87-90. Michael pours his life into him. He leads Michael as the tragic hero from the
potential nature that he has. He is a good young man and a good shepherd. He is as PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
tough as Michael in front of nature, but not in front of the actual world in the city. He is the copy of Michael as a shepherd. His journey to London is for Michael. This
leads Michael to the tragedy of the family. Indirectly, Luke’s fault is from Michael. The one that should be blamed is Michael. He sends him and gives him the way to
London by promoting him to Richard Bateman. Luke also considers this too easy and he becomes too much proud. He only thinks of his success that he will get.
“Nor was there at that time on English land A prouder heart than Luke’s..”
Stanza 15, lines 314-315. All of them are Luke’s personal events that lead the family into tragedy. In the
end, he takes an evil way in order to be successful as soon as possible to make his father happy. This is then becomes a fault because of the background that he has. His
father always teaches him to be honest. If he faces the industrial life, Michael should teach him many tricks to solve many industrial work problems.
In the city then he takes an evil way to get the success instantly and this destroys him and the family. His shame feeling makes him runaway from his mistake
because no one can help him. “…Meantime Luke began
To slacken in his duty; and, at length, He in the dissolute city gave himself
To evil course: ignominy and shame Fell on him, so that he was driven at last
To seek a hiding-place beyond the seas.” Stanza 19, lines 442-447.
