Abstract: Roman Jakobson was a distinguished Russian linguist, theorist of poetics, and cultural scholar. Jakobson distinguished various functions of language, including the emotive, conative, and metalingual functions. He also proposed numerous theories, arguments, and key concepts that have become foundational to modern poetics. Importantly, Jakobson’s theory of language functions is not confined to literature or poetry but also applies to the languages of performing arts, such as traditional Tuong theatre, particularly its system of physical expression.
It is precisely through this physical expression, with its multiple layers of meaning conveyed by exaggerated, stylized, and conventionalized gestures, that Tuong generates what may be described as “special linguistic messages” - distinctly characteristic of Tuong.
To further clarify this assertion, and to substantiate Roman Jakobson’s claim that “the fundamental problem of poetics is the answer to the question: by what means does a verbal message become a work of art,” this study undertakes an in-depth analysis of physical language in Tuong performance as a means of constructing character traits and expressing psychological states in the play Vo Tam Tu Executes the Fox, with particular focus on its renowned excerpt, Ho Nguyet Co’s Transformation into a Fox.
Keywords: language, physical language, Tuong.
Title: From Body Language in the Classical Tuong Play Vo Tam Tu Tram Cao to the Validation of Roman Jakobson’s Poetic Principle: “What Makes a Verbal Message a Work of Art?”
Author: Duong Thi Thanh Huyen
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
Vol. 13, Issue 4, October 2025 - December 2025
Page No: 625-630
Research Publish Journals
Website: www.researchpublish.com
Published Date: 26-December-2025
