Pragmatic analysis of King Abdullah’s speech: exploring speech acts and societal context

Abstract

Political speeches have a vital role in inspiring, reassuring and unifying citizens. Using pragmatics and speech act theory, this paper examines King Abdullah II’s ‘Address to the Nation on the 25th Accession to the Throne Day.’ This analysis examines the rhetorical strategies and delivery techniques employed in King Abdullah’s speech to sufficiently deliver his messages, declaiming Jordan’s past achievements, shared values, and future vision. The data was obtained from the official website of King Abdullah II of Jordan. The results demonstrate the manner in which the speech achieves its communicative objectives and potentially change public opinion. Implicature, politeness strategies, contextualization, metaphor, deixis, and presupposition are some of the pragmatic components that were employed in the speech. The rhetorical model of analysis adopted reveals how speeches create stories that resonate with audiences, enhance nationalistic sentiments, and promote togetherness. The influential role of language in political discourse is revealed throughout the analysis, shaping national sentiment and unity.