The Rhetoric of Persuasion and Influence in Fahd Radah Al-Harthi's Play "A State of Anxiety"

(A Pragmatic-Argumentative Study)

Abstract

This study aims to uncover the rhetoric of persuasion and influence in Fahd Radah Al-Harthi's play "A State of Anxiety" through a pragmatic-argumentative approach. It utilizes pragmatic and argumentative rhetoric concepts to analyze theatrical discourse, revealing the linguistic and rhetorical mechanisms that contributed to constructing persuasion and achieving influence. The study employs a descriptive-analytical methodology, using "A State of Anxiety" as a case study. This involves analyzing speech acts, conversational implicature, the pragmatic context, the argumentative structure, rhetorical strategies, and the elements of discourse: ethos, pathos, and logos. The study revealed that the theatrical discourse in the play "A State of Anxiety" is based on a coherent pragmatic-argumentative structure. Speech acts, context, argumentation, and rhetorical devices combine to construct a discourse that blends intellectual persuasion with emotional impact. The study also demonstrated that the dialogue relies on the construction and exchange of arguments, utilizing rhetorical devices such as questions, repetition, contrast, and symbolism as argumentative tools that deepen the intellectual and psychological impact of the text. The study concluded that the pragmatic-argumentative approach represents an effective field for analyzing theatrical discourse, as it allows for an understanding of the mechanisms of meaning production and audience engagement, and highlights the interaction between linguistic structure and persuasive function in the theatrical text.