APPEAL TO EMOTIONS AS A WAY OF INFLUENCING IN COURT (LINGUISTIC ASPECT)

Abstract

Appealing to emotions from the point of its discursive influence on recipients is researched in the paper. The relevance of the article is due to the dearth of research and lack in-depth analysis done on the subject in the context of importance of influencing in court.
 In this article, the author in detail sets out the differences between such notions as emotions and feelings. The views of leading scientists dealing with the phenomena are carefully analysed. Considerable attention is given to the applied nature of the research.
 The primary purpose of this piece of research is to investigate appeal to emotions in Anglophone court discourse from the point of its influence on litigants. The following objectives have been set: to clarify the terminological apparatus involved in the article; to find out the way of influencing emotions on litigants; to establish the language means expressing stratagemеs of appeal to emotions in Anglophone court discourse.
 Mention should be made of the following methods that were used here to achieve the aim: linguistic observation and analysis, as well as cognitive method, critical discourse analysis method, pragmatic analysis method.
 It has been proven that the advocate can generate a new emotional perception of the circumstances of the lawsuit, focusing the decision-maker's attention on certain points of the known information or throwing in a new piece of information, which in turn can change the mind of the judge and the jury. With this point in mind, the prosecution also appeals to emotion, albeit as an ability that awakens ethical/moral intelligence. In terms of linguistic representation, the appeal to emotion is realised through the discursive activation of the thematic sphere «emotional state». It has been established that the ultimate goal of an advocate is to provoke a certain emotional response that causes the recipient to have certain feelings. Specific thematic groups with a common seme "intuitive perception", "sensory perception", which realise the appeal to feelings have been identified.