Speech Acts Analysis of Frank Ogodo Ogbeche’s Harvest of Corruption

Abstract

This study seeks to apply speech act theory to the analysis of Frank Ogodo Ogbeche’s ‘Harvest of Corruption’ on the basis of a mixed method. It aims at identifying, analyzing and interpreting the different speech acts in the selected play for the purpose of decoding meanings. The results show that through representative acts the author has depicted thoroughly heinous practices that affect negatively the development of African countries. Through directive, he is inviting political authorities to look at the pitiful state of their countries. Through commissive, he is indicating how governments should commit themselves to take measures to clean up public services. Expressive acts have enabled him to express sorrow and feeling of desperation in regards to the pitiful state of African countries. Through declarative, he indicates how immediate changes can be operated by sentencing all guilty authorities to many years of imprisonment. These results have enabled the researcher to contend that the author has directly and indirectly depicted African countries in general and more specifically Nigeria as characterized by embezzlement, drug dealing, bribery and corruption, abuse of the public offices, betrayal of people’s trust.