Representation of intentionality in epideictic speeches in the 2020 US election campaign

Abstract

The aim of the study is to identify patterns in the construction of the epideictic speeches of political figures within the 2020 US election campaign. The paper analyses the intentional structures of three campaign speeches of different political figures, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, in particular, where they thank their electorate for their support. Patterns in the construction of epideictic speeches were identified from the perspective of the intentionality analysis relying on the analysis of the intentional components inherent in the gratitude speeches in the framework of the election campaign in the form of a monologue. The scientific novelty is due to the fact that the intentional components of epideictic speeches reflecting the current trends of structuring the pre-election speech were identified, as well as the influence of the intentional structure of an utterance in pre-election discourse on the perception of speech by the recipient. As a result, it was proved that the gratitude speeches of political figures within the framework of the election campaign have not only common features from the point of view of intentionality analysis, but also differences, which are characterised by the stage of the election campaign.