PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

This study examines the contestation between theatre artists and the state in representing heroic identities within history books, focusing on how these portrayals obscure heroes from their social realities. Using Wisran Hadi’s theatrical performance of Imam Bonjol as a case study, this qualitative research collects primary data through interviews with key stakeholders and secondary data from media reports and documentation. Employing an intertextual approach, the study explores hypograms and cohypograms to reveal tensions between state narratives and artistic interpretations. The findings indicate that while state narratives maintain rigid and idealized portrayals of heroism, artistic representations challenge this by humanizing historical figures. The research contributes to cultural memory and performativity studies, demonstrating how theatrical counter-narratives act as ideological resistance. Aligning with Ricoeur’s (1984) theory of narrative identity and White’s (1987) historiographical perspectives, this study highlights how artistic reinterpretations subvert state-controlled historical representations. Furthermore, it underscores the role of intertextuality in shaping cultural memory and the performative nature of historical discourse. These findings suggest that history books should adopt a more nuanced portrayal of heroes, integrating their complexities to foster a more objective and grounded understanding of heroic identity.