| Abstract [eng] |
This master’s paper provides an analysis of the use of political rhetoric for the creation of a political image. In politics, rhetoric is strategised and used as a tool to express planned political images. Academic discourse in Lithuania lacks studies containing an analysis of the image of political figures based on their political rhetoric. Therefore, it is important and useful to apply -considering current global trends - the study of the expression of political image in political rhetoric, which is an aspect of the analysis of political image new to Lithuania. Taking this into account, this master’s paper analyses the expression of the image of Rolandas Paksas, former president of the Republic of Lithuania, in one specific area of political rhetoric - official speeches. This choice determined the object of the research (the image of former Lithuanian president Rolandas Paksas), as well as the main objective of the research (analysis of the expression of political image in political rhetoric by studying the expression of Paksas’ image considering his official speeches). This master’s paper is based on the analysis of informational sources and synthesis and induction methods in pursuit of the tasks set and analyses the use of political rhetoric in the process of communication, the elements of the content of political image, and the process of the formation of political image in order to establish the links between them. With the use of comparison, semi-structured interview, discourse analysis, and speaking strategy identification methodology, the expression of the images of the former president is studied considering his official speeches delivered at different moments of his term of office. Specific types of images dominating in the speeches of Paksas are identified. The data obtained is compared with the images of Paksas described in theoretical literature. The analysis of scientific literature conducted reveals the interdependency of political communication, political rhetoric, and political image: political communication is realised through speech, which is used as a tool for the expression of a political image. It was established during the study of the expression of images demonstrated in political speeches of the former Lithuanian president that specific types of images dominating in different periods of his term of office and during the impeachment process can be identified. The types of images identified confirm the hypothesis that official speeches were a tool for the expression of the image of the former president. Following a comparison of the images identified during the study with the images of Paksas described in theoretical literature, it was concluded that most of the types identified during the study are identical to the dominating images of the former president described in theoretical literature. |
