ILLOCUTIONARY FORCES IN DUBLIN'S TENEMENTS: A SPEECH ACT ANALYSIS OF SEAN O'CASEY'S JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK

Authors

  • Surayya Malik Lecturer in English,Department of English,Thal University Bhakkar. Author
  • Hasnain Ahmad Lecturer in English, Department of English,Thal University Bhakkar. Author
  • Sanwaia Tabasum Lecturer in English,Department of English,University of Sargodha Author
  • Nayab Kanwal BS English Department of English,Rawalpindi Woman University Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63878/jalt1005

Abstract

This paper explores illocutionary forces in the play Juno and the Paycock (1924) by Sean O Casey by applying the Speech Act Theory which was initially formulated by J.L. Austin and John R. Searle. Language in the play is introduced as an instrument of survival, resistance, and identity construction; it is set in the tenement slums of Dublin during the Irish Civil War. The study adopts a qualitative research methodology and the concept of close reading to classify and study representative, directive, commissive, expressive and declarative speech acts employed by main characters, especially Juno, Jack Boyle and Mary. The results indicate that illocutionary acts do not only reflect the socio-political situations of the characters; they are also the means of power bargaining and emotional release. The findings indicate the responsibility and authority characterize the language of Juno whereas the language of Jack is evasive and more performative, which represents the gender role in family discourse. Based on this analysis, the paper confirms that dramatic dialogue does indeed serve as the performative instrument of social action in O Casey, and presents the view of how the victims of oppression manage to maintain that agency through their speech. The study bears significant contribution in terms of linguistic pragmatics, feminist discourse analysis and the Irish dramatic literature.

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Published

2025-07-18