PERSUASIVE RHETORICAL IN HIKAYAT MERONG MAHAWANGSA

Abstract

Rhetoric is an interesting, magnificent and esthetic language use and also referred as appealing, proper and effective language use for communication. Rhetorical techniques use in any writings or talking can persuade or influence audience. In this study, researcher carried out a study about the use of rhetorical technique in Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa. The objective of this study is to evaluate the persuasive rhetorical technique in Chapter IV, Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa which is based on Modern Rethorical Theory (1993). This study was carried out based on the Modern Rhetorical Theory (1993) by Enos and Brown. Based on the theory, there are five rhetorical techniques which is narrative rhetorical, descriptive rhetorical, persuasive rhetorical, disclosure rhetorical and argumentative rhetorical technique. Nevertheless, this study only focused on persuasive rhetorical technique which had been used in the writing of Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa by Siti Hawa Haji Salleh (1998). The study only focused on Chapter IV, Kisah Pengislaman Raja Derbar Raja II in Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa. Text analysis method was used to collect the data. The finding of this study showed that the writer of Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa has applied the persuasive rhetorical technique to change the public views, attitude and behavior which at the same time can attract reader’s interest. Therefore, it is clear that rhetoric application in creative work especially hikayat can guarantee the interesting and worthy quality writing.