An appraisal of the three political principals' speeches on the occasion of the signing of the Global Political Agreement of 15 September 2008

Abstract

The study analyses the speeches by the three political principals on the occasion of the signing of the GPA. Appraisal theory has been used as a tool for critiquing the principals’ speeches. This is a theory of emotion which implicates individual interpretations of an event influential in emotional response. The aim of this contribution is to ascertain how the speeches by politicians spark reaction from the electorate in favour of the individual public court of opinion. The objective of the research is to delve into the murky and often neglected area of the subtle undertones in political discourse, which is quite rare as this form of discourse does not usually offer itself to the area of undertones meant to be deciphered after intense scrutiny since it seeks to deliver a message in the clearest way possible, much like a church sermon.