A PRAGMATIC STUDY OF APOLOGY IN ENGLISH AND ARABIC

This study is dedicated to the analysis of apology in selected English and Arabic plays. The current study aims to figure out the pragmatic strategies of apology that are employed in the selected presidential plays. The study is qualitative and is based on Searle's (1969) theory of speech acts. The study comprises an investigation of two plays chosen by the researcher. The English one is entitled 'Proof, and the Arabic one is entitled Stars with Low Wages'. The major focus of data analysis will be on these two plays, which are guided by certain rules, circumstances, and themes interpreted from a pragmatic point of view. As a result of the analysis of the selected data, it has been proved that apologies are both face-threatening and self-deprecating for the speaker, and the apology strategies employed by both groups are shaped by social factors, including the status of the individuals involved. The use of illocutionary force-indicating devices, such as direct apology strategies, is quite prominent in both languages, as speakers of both believe that apologies should include this expression as an essential part, accompanied by other strategies.