Analysis of the discourses of embezzlers and the people in the play 'Snake in the Temple' based on speech act theory.

Speech Act Analysis is one of the effective tools for examining literary texts to uncover the hidden layers of interpersonal relationships and to understand psychological and personality traits in stories and plays. Since many utterances in the play "The Serpent in the Temple" by Gholamhossein Saedi play a significant role in shaping the plot and revealing the relationships between embezzlers and economic corruptors with different social classes, employing this theory can demonstrate new aspects of Saedi's artistry in depicting a troubled society. In this article, using a descriptive-analytical method and employing the speech act theory of J.L. Austin (1962) and John Searle (1969), we examine the types of speech acts (declarations and reports, descriptions, emotional expressions, directives, and commitments) as well as the three levels of speech acts (referential, intentional, and consequential). Based on selected examples from the text of the play, it is shown that the speech acts of the people are often referential and declarative, while the speech acts of the embezzlers (including the lackeys and traders) are predominantly directive and committed.The lack of public knowledge about power relations and the belief in the falsePresupposition of businessmen, despite previous bitter experiences, cause the embezzlers' commitment-making speech acts to be effective over and over again, without it being possible to fulfill these commitments in principle.