The prayer of Jacob Greek magical papyrus (PGM 22b) and speech act theory

Abstract

This dissertation utilizes Speech Act Theory in examining The Prayer of Jacob as presented in the Greek Magical Papyri (PGM 22b). The application of this theory to ancient rituals provides a valuable framework for analysing their performative aspects and recognizing that language can perform actions beyond merely conveying information. The study categorizes utterances based on their illocutionary acts and aims to identify verbs within the prayer as speech acts, such as exercitives, expressives, and direct addresses, and to investigate their intended functions. The main argument of the dissertation is that the verbs in the prayer are performatives and that their intended illocution would be successful under the right conditions. The research is conducted through a textual and contextual analysis of the prayer, followed by an analysis of the utterances in it as illocutionary. The purpose of this research is to provide a better understanding of the magical text and to make a valuable contribution to the existing body of literature on the application of Speech Act Theory in the analysis of texts from the Greek Magical Papyri.