Speech Acts, Figures of Speech, and Their Functions in the 2024 Presidential & Vice-Presidential Debates: A Pragmastylistic Study

This study examines the types and functions of speech acts and figures of speech employed by presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the 2024 Indonesian election debates. It also explores the rhetorical functions of figures of speech within political communication strategies, using a pragmastylistic approach. A descriptive qualitative method was employed, with data drawn from utterance excerpts transcribed from five official debates. The data were categorized by pragmatic function and stylistic form, followed by thematic analysis to reveal patterns linking communicative intent and rhetorical style. The results show that presidential candidates primarily used assertive, commissive, and directive speech acts, often accompanied by hyperbole, sarcasm, and parallelism. In contrast, vice-presidential candidates tended to use expressive, directive, and commissive acts, supported by personification, irony, and antithesis. These combinations served to reinforce political stances, construct leadership personas, and express ideological orientations. The findings confirm that speech acts and figures of speech were not used separately but functioned together as strategic tools in persuasive political discourse. The pragmastylistic approach proved effective in uncovering how political language is constructed as an intentional and context-sensitive discursive act.