Pragmatic Implicature and the Articulation of Protest in Femi Osofisan’s Plays

Abstract

This study was motivated by the need to explore the pragmatic strategies employed by Femi Osofisan in his plays Women of Owu, Morountodun, and Red Is the Freedom Road to depict protest and resistance. The purpose was to analyze the use of pragmatic implicature in these plays, illustrating how implied meanings and contextual cues enhance the expression of socio-political struggles. Utilizing a qualitative research design, the study conducted a content analysis of key speeches within the selected texts, examining the pragmatic implicature of the language used. Three major findings emerged: first, Osofisan’s use of implicature effectively exposed the moral hypocrisy and brutality of oppressors; second, the speeches affirmed the importance of unity and collective action in resistance movements; third, the implicit messages within the dialogues fostered a deeper emotional and ethical engagement with the audience, enhancing the plays' impact. The study concluded that pragmatic implicature is a crucial linguistic tool in Osofisan’s work, which enriches the narrative and powerfully conveys the dynamics of protest and resilience. This study contributed to a better understanding of how language can be used to articulate and inspire resistance within socio-political contexts.