“THE FATE YOU SEAL IS YOUR OWN”: ANALYSING IDENTITY AND NARRATIVE THROUGH SPEECH ACT THEORY AND PERFORMATIVITY IN BALDUR’S GATE 3

Abstract

This thesis discusses speech act theory and performativity as lenses of linguistic analysis, specifically focusing on the way language constructs and maintains identity. Role-playing games (RPGs) are controlled environments in which language can be studied, and demonstrate a more focused force from speech acts. Looking at Baldur's Gate 3, a video game RPG, this paper looks at how performative speech acts in-game construct and uphold world-building, player identity, and characterisation, with the goal of showing the usability of speech acts as a lens of analysis, and specifically exploring marginalised identity exploration and expression through Butlerian performativity theory.