L’objet de notre étude est l’analyse du discours didascalique du poète et dramaturge espagnol, Federico García Lorca. Trois pièces constituent notre champ d’investigation : Bodas de sangre, Yerma et La casa de Bernarda Alba. Les didascalies, en tant que discours émanant de la voix auctoriale, ont fait l’objet de nombreuses recherches et publications depuis l’essor de la linguistique de l’énonciation et de l’analyse du discours dramatique. Ce travail propose une poétique singulière des didascalies et démontre qu’elles forment un code sémiotique particulier, stratégique et poétique au sein du discours théâtral lorquien : loin de ne constituer qu’un péritexte fonctionnel qui se limite à accompagner et à préciser les conditions de mise en scène du discours entre personnages, elles représentent le véritable centre névralgique du théâtre poétique de Lorca. Elles participent pleinement de la construction du sens profond de l’œuvre et livrent des clés interprétatives essentielles fonctionnant à différents niveaux de lecture et de réception théâtrale. La lecture de certaines didascalies représente un véritable plaisir pour le spectalecteur. Elles peuvent être considérées dans une perspective poétique et interprétées dans la matérialité même de leur signe linguistique comme des supports textuels et phoniques. Elles demeurent dans la plupart des cas l’apanage du lecteur car, renversement paradoxal, le metteur en scène est souvent dans l’impossibilité de les représenter totalement sur scène. Ces didascalies correspondent à la première phase de ce travail et sont nommées didascalire. D’autres didascalies concernent d’une façon plus concrète et pratique les détails de la future mise en scène et possèdent une fonction performative et conative. Elles ne sont plus textuelles : le message originel se transforme en d’autres systèmes de signes. Elles font l’objet de la seconde phase de cette étude et sont appelées didascascène. Les parties liminaires (titres – sous-titres et dramatis personae par exemples), les nuances chromatiques et les indications spatio-temporelles, sont revêtues d’une valeur prophétique et d’une portée métathéâtrale : elles portent en germe tous les éléments de l’œuvre et élaborent une réflexion sur le théâtre lui-même. Lorca, dans cette partition didascalique compose une poétique du silence révélant les sentiments profonds des différents personnages de la trilogie. Les didascalies sont le souffle et la respiration du texte qui prend corps et vie devant nos yeux : leur déchiffrement permet d’accéder aux arcanes de l’œuvre. / The aim of this study is to analyse Garcia Lorca's poetic and dramatic use of stage directions with special reference to three plays : Bodas de Sangre , Yerma and La casa de Bernada Alba .There is no denying that since the birth of enunciative linguistics and drama speech analysis, a lot of in-depth research publications have been devoted to stage directions as reverberations of the author's voice . This study will offer a poetic reading of Lorca's stage directions and aim at demonstrating that the latter contribute to creating a specific semiotic code with both a strategic and poetic intent within Lorca's dramatic speech. Far from being a mere functional peritext only meant to organise and set up the staging of discourse between the characters, Lorca's stage directions embody the nerve centre of his poetic drama. They play an active part in building up the innermost meaning of his works, and offer essential keys for interpretation at various levels of reading and theatrical reception. Reading some of these stage directions is a source of enjoyment for the viewer-reader . If we consider them as mere linguistic signs, they can indeed be interpreted in a poetical perspective as text aids through their sound effects when spoken aloud. Yet ,they are restricted to the reader's exclusive benefit as , paradoxically enough, the stage director is very often unable to stage them in their entirety , even by summoning all the senses . These stage directions, analysed in the first phase of this study, can be labelled as 'reading directions '. The other kind of stage directions consists of the more concrete and physical details that can help organise the futur staging of the play. They have an action-inducing and conative function and , as such, are not textual - the author's original message being coded into another system of signs - These 'staging directions' are the focus of the second part of this study. The preliminary parts ( titles, subtitles and dramatis personae for instance), the varied hues, space and time indications are endowed with a metadrama and prophetical value. Indeed, they carry the seeds of all the main characteristics of Lorca's works and weave thoughts about the very essence of drama. By turning his stage directions into a real musical score, Lorca composes a poetry of silence revealing the innermost feelings of the various characters present in the trilogy. The stage directions breathe life into the text , which takes on flesh and blood under our eyes. Deciphering them enables the reader to lift the veil on the mysteries of Lorca's works.

The aim of this study is to analyse and interpret L.Z. Sikwane's play: Matshediso from the perspective of didascalies. The study comprises five chapters. The aim, scope and methods of research are outlined and motivated in chapter one. In chapter two, an overview of the research into didascalies is undertaken. Questions such as: "what are didascalies?" "how do didascalies in a play help produce meaning and shape?" etc. are dealt with. Later, the study shows how didascalies are linked to the other structural elements of drama such as theme; plot; characters and setting. In chapter three an analysis and interpretation of Matshediso from the perspective of the importance of didascalies is undertaken. This analysis focuses on the plot; didascalies and characters; didascalies and space; and didascalies, props, and set. Limitations characterizing performance are also dealt with. In chapter four, an integrated interpretation of Matshediso is provided. Thereafter a set of guidelines for performing the play is developed. This covers aspects such as: stage setting; the characters; dialogue; sound and costume. Chapter five sum up the main findings of the study and the value of the didascalies approach. By way of conclusion, I argue that Sikwane has not just written a play, but also pictured how it should be performed. This is confirmed by the didascalies included in this play and the value of the didascalies approach. / M.A., African Languages, Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2002

The aim of this study is to analyse and interpret L.Z. Sikwane's play: Matshediso from the perspective of didascalies. The study comprises five chapters. The aim, scope and methods of research are outlined and motivated in chapter one. In chapter two, an overview of the research into didascalies is undertaken. Questions such as: "what are didascalies?" "how do didascalies in a play help produce meaning and shape?" etc. are dealt with. Later, the study shows how didascalies are linked to the other structural elements of drama such as theme; plot; characters and setting. In chapter three an analysis and interpretation of Matshediso from the perspective of the importance of didascalies is undertaken. This analysis focuses on the plot; didascalies and characters; didascalies and space; and didascalies, props, and set. Limitations characterizing performance are also dealt with. In chapter four, an integrated interpretation of Matshediso is provided. Thereafter a set of guidelines for performing the play is developed. This covers aspects such as: stage setting; the characters; dialogue; sound and costume. Chapter five sum up the main findings of the study and the value of the didascalies approach. By way of conclusion, I argue that Sikwane has not just written a play, but also pictured how it should be performed. This is confirmed by the didascalies included in this play and the value of the didascalies approach. / M.A., African Languages, Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2002

Cette thèse s’intéresse aux énoncés catégorisés métadiscursivement comme ironiques par le dramaturge dans les didascalies et par l’instance journalistique dans la presse écrite. Par la sélection du corpus sur la base des métadiscours, nous tentons de nous départir d’une démarche fondée sur des critères subjectifs et, partant, d’une définition pré-construite de l’ironie. Il s’agit de déterminer les sens que les locuteurs-scripteurs attachent à ces termes afin de dresser un portrait prototypique voire plusieurs portraits récurrents de l’ironie, et d’envisager, dans un second temps, une comparaison entre les deux genres étudiés. On analyse ainsi le processus de production de sens en recherchant les éléments qui ont conduit, dans tel ou tel contexte, le locuteur à caractériser l’énoncé comme ironique. Nous entendons démontrer que l’ironie est une, malgré sa complexité apparente : elle consiste en une forme de moquerie qui passe par une attaque indirecte. Nous analysons ainsi les différents éléments mis en avant par les diverses conceptions de l’ironie existantes (écho, feintise, antiphrase, implicite…) comme des procédés par lesquels s’exerce la moquerie, qui peuvent selon les cas se combiner ou se réaliser isolément. / This thesis is concerned with utterances metadiscursively categorized as ironic by playwright in the stage directions, and by the journalistic authority in the press, in order to be part of a approach untied to subjective criteria and, consequently, liberated from a predefined conception of irony. This is to determine meaning that speakers-writers attach to these terms in order to develop a prototypical portrait or several portraits recurring of irony by comparative study of two above textual genres. Thus, we study the process of meaning production by searching for information that led, in a particular context, speaker to characterize his statement as ironic. We intend to demonstrate that irony is one, despite its apparent complexity: it is a form of mockery that goes through an indirect attack. We analyze different elements, highlighted by various existing conceptions of irony (echo, pretense, antiphrasis, implicit …), as processes by which mockery is exerted, which can be combined with each other or achieve alone.

The drama of Senkatana by S.M. Mofokeng is analysed by applying principles provided by speech act theory, using as basis the explication of the theory by Bach and Harnish (1979). The socio-cultural context in the play has as its starting point the realm of myth and legend. From here all categories of relationships within the protagonist/antagonist encounter unfold, as do opposing sets of contextual beliefs characters rely on; these are primarily responsible for the growing conflict in the drama. Enhancing the mythical character of the play is the absorbing role played by the diboni, acting as seers, as prophets and as additional 'authorial voice'. Their and those of other characters' speech acts reflect this and more; they operate in a substantiated sign-system which provides a framework for evaluating each semiotic act from locutionary, illocutionary and perlocutionary dimensions of meaning. Chapter 1 comprises a historical survey of studies on speech act theory, and includes a brief summary of the position of the theory in the field of semiotics. The micro speech act analysis of the play is facilitated by the division of the text into smaller action units (summarised in Addendum 1). Chapter 2, containing the greater part of the exposition, commences the narration of the folktale and offers a clear rendering of the epic rise of the hero. Chapter 3 portrays the rise and progress of the antagonists challenging the hero, coupled with intensifying anxiety among the protagonists. Chapter 4 provides a vivid overview of how the values of the hero triumph over those of the antagonist despite the physical slaying of the hero. Chapter 5 offers a graphic outline of how the macro speech act is accomplished in the play. It is shown how an investigation of the speech act profiles of characters, coupled with the evaluation of illocutionary tactics and illocutionary/perlocutionary dynamics, communicates significant information pertaining to characterisation. A graph illustrating the rise and fall of micro speech acts within the larger macro speech act is provided in Addendum 2. Suggestions are made regarding future research in literary texts. / African Languages / D.Lit. et Phil. (African Languages)

Le XVIIe siècle a connu l’épanouissement de la création des tragédies. Notre thèse propose une étude sur un composant moins étudié de ce théâtre, l’espace. Le premier chapitre de notre étude essaie d’abord de dessiner la géographie de la tragédie de l’âge classique et établir des liens éventuels entre les lieux et les thèmes, ensuite nous étudions les différents espaces représentés par la scène et leurs caractéristiques. Le deuxième chapitre quitte la scène pour s’intéresser à la topographie des espaces hors scène. Nous verrons les fonctions de ces espaces hors scène et leurs échanges avec la scène et les dynamismes qui s’en dégagent. Conformément à une esthétique épurée, la tragédie classique relègue de nombreux événements hors scène. Nous cherchons, dans la deuxième partie de ce chapitre, à classer ces événements et nous nous interrogeons sur les diverses raisons pour lesquelles ils ont lieu hors scène. Le troisième chapitre se penche sur l’espace en parole, l’espace tel qu’il est vécu par les personnages. Nous analysons comment les personnages associent des espaces (en scène ou hors scène) à différentes expériences humaines et aux différents destins. Dans certaines pièces, l’espace peut même être au centre d’un enjeu. Nous analysons les enjeux qui se jouent autour de l’espace. Le quatrième chapitre est consacré à l’étude des mouvements des personnages et des objets en scène. Les mouvements des personnages et les objets théâtraux contribuent aussi à la construction de l’espace théâtral. La scène tragique est globalement un espace dépouillé où les héros sont primordialement des « êtres-parlant ». Les gestes et les objets, quand ils existent, sont autrement signifiants sur la scène tragique. Nous concluons que l’espace est loin d’être un décor inerte dans la tragédie française du XVIIe siècle. C’est un élément actif qui entretient diverses dynamiques avec les personnages. / The 17th century has witnessed the full bloom of the creation of the tragedies in France. My thesis proposes a research on a less studied component in this theatre—space. The first chapter of my study tries to draw the geography of the classical age tragedy and establish the possible links between places and themes, then I address myself to the different spaces represented by the stage and their characteristics. The second chapter quits the stage to discover the offstage topography. We shall see the function of these offstage spaces, their exchanges with the stage and the dynamisms that come from these exchanges. Conforming to a purified aesthetics, the classical tragedy relegates numerous events behind the scene. In the second part of this chapter, I try to classify these events and question why they happen offstage. The third chapter approaches the space in speech, the space as it is experienced by the characters. I analyze how the characters associate the spaces (on stage or offstage) with different human experiences and destinies. In certain plays, space itself can be at stake. The stakes implicated in space will be analyzed. The fourth chapter focuses on the characters’ body and objects on stage. Characters’ movements and theatrical objects contribute to the creation of theatrical space. The tragic scene is overall a stripped space where the heroes are primordially ‘speaking beings’. Gestures and objects, when they exist, are highly significant on the tragic scene. Lastly I conclude that space is far from being an inert set in the 17th century French tragedy. It is an element that maintains different dynamics with characters.

The drama of Senkatana by S.M. Mofokeng is analysed by applying principles provided by speech act theory, using as basis the explication of the theory by Bach and Harnish (1979). The socio-cultural context in the play has as its starting point the realm of myth and legend. From here all categories of relationships within the protagonist/antagonist encounter unfold, as do opposing sets of contextual beliefs characters rely on; these are primarily responsible for the growing conflict in the drama. Enhancing the mythical character of the play is the absorbing role played by the diboni, acting as seers, as prophets and as additional 'authorial voice'. Their and those of other characters' speech acts reflect this and more; they operate in a substantiated sign-system which provides a framework for evaluating each semiotic act from locutionary, illocutionary and perlocutionary dimensions of meaning. Chapter 1 comprises a historical survey of studies on speech act theory, and includes a brief summary of the position of the theory in the field of semiotics. The micro speech act analysis of the play is facilitated by the division of the text into smaller action units (summarised in Addendum 1). Chapter 2, containing the greater part of the exposition, commences the narration of the folktale and offers a clear rendering of the epic rise of the hero. Chapter 3 portrays the rise and progress of the antagonists challenging the hero, coupled with intensifying anxiety among the protagonists. Chapter 4 provides a vivid overview of how the values of the hero triumph over those of the antagonist despite the physical slaying of the hero. Chapter 5 offers a graphic outline of how the macro speech act is accomplished in the play. It is shown how an investigation of the speech act profiles of characters, coupled with the evaluation of illocutionary tactics and illocutionary/perlocutionary dynamics, communicates significant information pertaining to characterisation. A graph illustrating the rise and fall of micro speech acts within the larger macro speech act is provided in Addendum 2. Suggestions are made regarding future research in literary texts. / African Languages / D.Lit. et Phil. (African Languages)

L'étude du geste dramatique dans le théâtre d'Euripide s'attache principalement à la dimension verbale du geste théâtral. Elle n'envisage pas seulement les mots qui disent le geste comme un moyen de reconstituer le geste de l'acteur mais cherche à éclairer grâce à eux l'art dramaturgique du poète. Une première partie est consacrée à l'étude stylistique des énoncés regroupés en « motifs gestuels » et montre l'importance des gestes pathétiques de la filiav dans les tragédies d'Euripide. Dans une seconde partie, une analyse comparée de gestes dans des séquences parallèles chez les trois grands Tragiques permet de mesurer les variations du rapport entre parole poétique et spectacle dramatique d'un poète à l'autre, afin de mettre en lumière la spécificité de l'expression euripidéenne du geste et le renouvellement du pathétiquedans son théâtre. Y sont interrogées les conséquences qu'ont pu avoir sur l'écriture du geste les modifications de la pratique théâtrale au cours du ve siècle avant J.-C., l'évolution des tendances artistiques et le poids de la sensibilité personnelle et de la vision tragique de chaque poète. Dans la troisième partie sont examinées les expérimentations théâtrales auxquelles s'est livré Euripide autour de l'expression du geste, notamment dans ses dernières pièces, et quiremettent en question la nature du tragique. / This study focuses on gestures as indicated by the words in Euripides' tragedies. Words are not only here a means to reconstruct the actor's gesture on stage, but are analysed in order to enlighten the specificity of the poet's dramatic art. The first chapter presents a stylistic study of the gesture formulas, grouped according to « gestural patterns », and reveals theimportance of the pathetic gestures of filiav in Euripides' theatre. In the second chapter, the comparison of gestures in parallel scenes by the three Tragic dramatists sheds light on the differences between them in the relationship between dramatic text and stage action and on the novelty of Euripidean gestural expression and pathos. This comparison is linked to the evolution of tragic performance in the fifth century, to the evolution of artistic tendencies and to the poet's own sensibility. The third chapter is an analysis of Euripides' theatrical experiments involving dramatic gestures, especially in his late plays, and leads to a new definition of the tragic nature of Euripidean theater.