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Othello's Locutionary Effect

128 Words1 Pages
The locutionary meaning is the alleged witchcraft used on Desdemona; the illocutionary force is vouching done by Brabantio because in saying this accusation, Othello must be guilty of witchcraft and therefore should face punishment. A perlocutionary effect may be that by vouching this accusation, he either has or has not convinced the Duke and fellow senators of the bewitchment committed on his daughter Desdemona. Brabantio’s illocutionary force does not have the desired perlocutionary effect, which would be Othello’s conviction. Instead the Duke denies Brabantio’s words as proof, and according to J.L. Austin, this infelicitous response results in a violation of condition A1 of the performativity statutes (para. 6 Lecture II). Because his accusation
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