Shopping Mall
We hear of a new project to build a shopping mall many stories high in Astinam. This imagery creates excitement at the thought of building what is new, but the reality is that these buildings will lie dormant because none of the people who sell in the current markets will be able to afford the high prices of rent in them. Thus the building becomes an image of vanity, no depth to fill the walls.
Soldiers
The President of Parliament arrives for a walk through of the Naga lands, but he does so accompanied by a truck full of soldiers. This imagery shows that he is not there to bring peace, but to stamp out any opposition to the government taking their sacred land.
Astinam
We see that the Queen is getting dressed when we are introduced to her in the kingdom of Astinam. We also see she wears red and white with her dress. This imagery is purposeful as red and white are the national colors of Indonesia. Rendra is stating satirically that this is the "kingdom of Astinam" with a wink as everyone knows this is Indonesia.
Chorus
We watch as a Chorus of Machines and Ambassadors comes into the opening scene of the play. This imagery reveals the mechanical nature of the machines which is smoothed out by the slickness of foreign ambassadors. The imagery is revealing that we are exchanging people for objects in the name of a progress that does not serve all people, but instead only seeks to fatten the pockets of those selling industrialization.
