Identifying Social Actors in the Story of Prophet Yūsuf Based on Van Leeuwen's (2008) Perspective

Van Leeuwen's (2008) discourse-semantic approach is a method of discourse analysis that, employing socio-semantic categories and emphasizing the importance of social actors in discourse, investigates the hidden layers of language in both oral and written texts, revealing the underlying relationships within each discourse. In Van Leeuwen's (2008) method, anyone playing a role in the discourse is considered a social actor. This branch of analysis can find a special place in Quranic studies; for, upon reflection on certain Quranic narratives, it becomes evident that these texts, overtly and covertly, contain many of these discourse systems. This research aims to analyze the discourse system of Surah Yūsuf using a descriptive-analytical method, employing the socio-semantic components of Van Leeuwen's (2008) analytical model. Given that the Surah Yūsuf, while narrating a concise account of the life of Prophet Yūsuf, features significant social actors and noteworthy speech acts, a discourse analysis using Van Leeuwen's theory reveals beneficial insights that enhance the wonder of this heavenly book.  Studies show that in this Surah, discourse components based on overtness (frequency 758) have a higher frequency compared to those based on covertness (frequency 322). This signifies that God, in a stylistic innovation, familiarizes the audience with the names of individuals, groups, places, and times in which social actors play active roles.  Furthermore, role attribution (frequency 195), reference type specification (frequency 302), and nature specification (frequency 88) show the highest representation in the various overt expressions of social actors in this Surah