WAR METAPHORS IN THE CHRISTMAS MESSAGES OF THE SPANISH KING

Abstract

War metaphor is widely used in various genres of political discourse due to its pragmatic potential. This article discusses the function of war metaphors in the Spanish King’s Christmas Messages, which are one of the few occasions when the Head of State addresses the Spanish people on television. These speeches do not have any legal status and are considered direct communication between the king and his subjects. The texts issued by Juan Carlos I and Felipe VI from 1975 to 2018 follow the rules of classical oratory and have a lot in common semantically and lexically with that style of discourse. In particular, war metaphor is frequently employed with the ideological purpose of strengthening the image of the monarch as someone who pays attention to people’s anxieties and actively participates in the political issues of the state. On the other hand, war metaphor is a tool of democratic value propaganda. Juan Carlos I and Felipe VI also underscore the importance of peaceful coexistence in Spain according to the Constitution. In this respect, war metaphor is used to unite people against “enemies” such as social and economic problems (financial crisis, unemployment, drug addiction, and gender and race discrimination). The monarch believes that people will be able to cope with the consequences of the financial crisis and other difficulties only through their unity and collaboration.