The semiotics of the final speech : bush vs. Mubarak

Abstract EN

The present study is centered on the semiotic analysis of the final speech as delivered by George W.

Bush and Hosni Mubarak.

The final speeches examined were delivered at the turn of events just before leaving office.

The two speeches are analyzed according to the two broad areas of semiotics, in the linguistic sense, namely verbal and non-verbal communication.

Under verbal communication, several sub-topics are thoroughly investigated from the view of semiotic discourse analysis.

That type of communication can well branch into the syntagmatic and paradigmatic levels of analysis and certain types of signs.

Under the non-verbal plane come facial expressions, intonational contours and colours.

The study concludes that Bush’s speech is more balanced and better-delivered, though inconsistent in its use of indexicals, being grossly focused on person.

As for Mubarak’s speech, it was not delivered in noticeably varying intonation patterns, and the semiosphere of colours and gestures is not congruent with the main themes of the speech.