Constructing Character and Narrative Structure through Illocutionary Speech Acts: A Pragmatic Study of Muḥammad Fatḥī ʿAbd al-ʿĀl's Aqdām ʿalā Jisr al-Shawk

Abstract

This study examines the functions of illocutionary speech acts employed by the main character, Na‘īm, in the drama script Aqdām ʿalā Jisr al-Shawk by Muḥammad Fatḥī ʿAbd al-ʿĀl. This study is significant because utterances in drama not only convey meaning but also represent communicative actions that shape characterization and plot development. The study employed a qualitative approach using a descriptive method. The data consisted of the main character's utterances, which were collected through non-participant observation and analyzed using John Searle's theory of illocutionary speech acts through processes of classification and interpretation. The findings revealed 20 illocutionary speech act functions encompassing representative, expressive, directive, commissive, and declarative categories. Among these, the representative function was the most dominant, particularly the function of stating, which occurred 17 times. This predominance indicates that Naʿīm is constructed as the central character who plays a crucial role in conveying ideas, expressing attitudes, and driving dramatic conflict through speech acts. The findings further demonstrate that illocutionary functions not only shape the dynamics of communication among characters but also contribute to character construction and the narrative structure of the drama. This study enriches literary pragmatics by extending the application of illocutionary speech act theory to modern Arabic drama and provides an analytical foundation for future studies on characterization, dramatic discourse, and communicative meaning in Arabic literary texts.