An analytic study of a religious text : Moses story with pharaoh as a case study

Abstract EN

Abstract: This study carries out a strategic analysis of a religious text namely Moses story with Pharaoh which has been analyzed within the framework of meta pragmatics as a perspective.

It aims at investigating the psycholinguistic strategies implemented by AL-Taguts in the Glorious Qur'an to influence their people.

The study also documents various types of strategies as well as points to important differences between the strategies used by Pharaoh and those used by Moses.

This study is based on the hypothesis that Al-Taguts are tyrants or oppressors who adopt an oppression policy to control their people by force.

The results of the analysis show that Pharaoh uses destruction strategies while Moses uses reformulation ones.

Al-Taguts’ desire to be worshipped destroys civilizations, beliefs, values and the whole ideologies of their nations and eventually leads to their fatal destiny.

The same conclusion has been arrived at in all Shakespeare’s tragic plays.

This is why the analyzed story makes use of such literary devices as flashback and foreshadowing.

Flashback has been used to remind Pharaoh and his people of the fate of past tyrants and disbelievers.

Foreshadowing has been used figuratively as a symbol or sign for the victory of Moses and the end of Al-Taguts dreams and ambitions.

It has also been found that there is also frequent use of offensive and unpleasant words in the language of Pharaoh .

Moreover, Pharaoh violates all Grice’s maxims of conversation.

As such ,Pharaoh uses the language of fear whilst conversely Moses chooses words of hope because his message is to guide people and lead them to the right track.