that in a drama we usually see only the action, but its the decision to act that helps us understand how the character‟s mind works” Zanjani, 2006: 70.
Besides the character‟s descriptions, dialogues, and actions, Zanjani also explains that a name of character can give great value to characterize his
personality and provide a lot of descriptions about the character. “Name of the
character can play an important role in building his identity, because, name can suggest many things about character
” Zanjani, 2006: 73.
2. Concept of Psychopath
Coleman and Broen ‟s
Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life
stated that a psychopathic personality is obviously labeled as antisocial and
incompetent to be loyal to others, society, or moral values. Despitefully, he is intelligent, impulsive, and very pleasant on first introduction. He also has no
business on past or future things, and also behaves insensitively towards other people
‟s matters. Basically, they are unsocialized and incapable of significant loyalty to
other persons, groups, or social values. Typically intelligent, spontaneous, and very likeable on first acquaintance, they seem to live
in a series of present moments, without consideration for the past or future and with callous disregard for the rights and well-being of
others 1972: 366. VanderVeldt and Odenwald explain in
Psychiatry and Catholicism
that “psychopaths are always interested in people who are newcomers in the
neighborhood” 1952: 305. Psychopaths seem very caring to the newcomers by visiting their house or even helping voluntarily to sew new curtains 1952:
305.
Cleckley‟s
The Mask of Sanity
also states that a psychopathic person has sixteen characteristics. The first one is superficial charming and good
intelligence. Cleckley explains that a psychopath makes himself as agreeable person and positive impression at the first time he is introduced Cleckley,
1988: 339 . He tries to perform “well-adjusted, happy person” in order to
show nothing is ab normal in his behavior which is like “the real thing”
Cleckley, 1988: 339. Besides, psychopath is also well endowed with high intelligence which is showed in psychometric test.
“Psychometric tests also very frequently show him of superior intelligence
” Cleckley, 1988: 339. The second characteristic of psychopath shows absence of delusions
and other signs of irritional thinking. The psychopath shows no indication of hearing voices such as a psychosis Cleckley, 1988: 339. He also performs in
normal emotions. “Not only is the psychopath rational and his thinking free of
delusions, but he also appears to react with normal emotions ” Cleckley, 1988:
339. The third characteristic of psychopath is absent from nervousness or
psychoneurotic manifestations. These criteria such as hysteria, obsessive- compulsive disorder, anxiety state, or “neurasthenia” do not fit in
psychopath‟s attributes Cleckley, 1988: 339. He is incredible poise rather than worry or nervous Cleckley, 1988: 340.
The fourth characteristic is unreliable. In the beginning, the psychopath shows reaction for being a reliable person but later it will be found
out that he gives no willingness to be responsible on many occasions
Cleckley, 1988: 340. Even, it does not matter for him how important the circumstance is Cleckley, 1988: 340. His unreliability and ignorance for
obligations and consequences are explained in both unimportant and important problems. They are covered by performing nice personality and unable to be
considered as common motives or persuasion. The psychopath‟s unreliability and his disregard for obligations and for
consequences are manifested in both trivial and serious matters, are masked by demonstrating of conforming behavior, and cannot be
accounted for by ordinary motives or incentives Cleckley, 1988: 340- 341.
The fifth characteristic of psychopath is untruthful and insincere. He
shows personality which is unable to be trusted. He chooses to lie on every matter and situation with no good reason, and sometimes he admits his own
errors and performs to face the consequences with singular honesty, fortitude, and manliness Cleckley, 1988: 341-342.
The sixth characteristic of psychopath shows lack of remorse or shame. He cannot accept any blame to his attitudes and denies all the
responsibility and returns to blame others as responsible. He shows no sense of shame even though he puts his life in trouble for a bunch of times but
leaves without any evidence of regret Cleckley, 1988: 343. The seventh characteristic of psychopath shows inadequately
motivated antisocial behavior. He is not only irresponsible, but he will also act more in active ways. He will show a tendency for cheating and committing
crimes which is difficult to understand the reason. He feels free to do crimes
in which shows a characteristic of remorseless. Therefore, psychopath is viewed negatively by society.
He will commit theft, forgery, adultery, fraud, and other deeds for astonishingly small takes and under much greater risks of being
discovered than will the ordinary scoundrel. He will, in fact, commit such deeds in the absence of any apparent goal at all Cleckley, 1988:
343. In contrast, his antisocial and self-defeating deeds are not circumscribed as, for example, in pyromania and kleptomania, he
shows little or no evidence of the conscious conflict or the subsequent regret that are not regularly absent in these other manifestations
Cleckley, 1988: 344. The eighth characteristic of psychopath is poor of judgment and failed
to learn by experience. Psychopath does not appear to learn from their mistakes. Besides that, he will continue his antisocial behavior instead of
ending it and will not be afraid of getting caught. His poor judgment is found for example when he wastes the opportunities to produce some money, to get
close with his spouse, to be sent away from hospital Cleckley, 1988: 345. The ninth characteristic is pathologic of egocentricity and incapable
for love. This is clear that this symptom is not presented in normal people. Psychopath is skillful in pretending to be in love with someone else. It means
that he has no emotion to react in pure feelings of loving and he only cares about his own matters Cleckley, 1988: 347.
The tenth characteristic of psychopath shows general poverty in major affective reactions. This symptom is an addition of incapacity for object love,
which explains that the psychopath cannot reveal or show any affective emotions such as exciting, shouting, etc. This considers the inner feeling to
react not to pretend. Feelings such as annoyance, hateful, alert, labile signs of
showing almost sympathy, bad-tempered, self-pity, childish, unreasonable, poses of angry are presented obviously in psychopath. However, there is lack
of deep feelings such as mature, wholehearted anger, consistent wrath, truthful, sorrow, maintain of pride, deep joyfulness, and despair Cleckley,
1988: 348. The eleventh characteristic shows specific loss of insight. The
psychopath is absolutely more horrible in insight than some schizophrenic patients. He has no ability to observe himself as the others observe him. He is
not able to know how others feel about him Cleckley, 1988: 350. The twelfth characteristic is unresponsive in general interpersonal
relations. It is stated by Cleckley that psychopath is incompetent to show ordinary responsiveness to kindness or trust from others. It does not matter
how kind he is treated by his family, friends, police, or hospital attendants, he is incapable to show any consistent reaction to appreciate those kindness
1988: 354. The thirteenth characteristic of psychopath is fantastic and uninviting
behavior with drink and sometimes without. The primary point on psychopath‟s drinking is found in the shocking, the fantastic, uninviting, or
relatively inexplicable attitude which reveals only when he drinks, although only a little 1988: 356.
The fourteenth characteristic is showing that suicide rarely carried out. It is seldom to find out that psychopath who is superficial self-content, ease,
charm, and brilliant is inclined to reach the final end in suicide 1988: 358.
