سیمیائیة البنی السردیة فی مسرحیة المفتاح لیوسف العانی

Semiotics is one of the modern critical approaches that has contributed to expanding the horizons of reading literary texts, particularly theatrical texts, which rely on the interaction of multiple linguistic, visual, auditory, and kinetic signs. The relationship between semiotics and theater is organic and complementary; theater, in its essence, is a mechanism for generating meaning through diverse semiotic systems. This is precisely what has made theater a fertile ground for semiotic application and study since the 1960s and 1970s. This research aims to explore the semiotics of narrative structures, focusing specifically on the title, characters, time, and space in the play The Key (Al-Miftah) by the prominent Iraqi playwright Youssef Al-Ani. Written during a watershed moment in modern Arab history (1967), this play stands as one of his most significant works. Utilizing a semiotic methodology to analyze the theatrical text, the study yielded several key findings. Most notably, the title was not merely a casual designation, but rather a deliberate and concentrated choice that closely links form and content, rendering it an initial threshold for decoding the text. Furthermore, Al-Ani employed a meticulous strategy in naming his characters; most names aligned perfectly with their dramatic roles and functions, while others were utilized in direct contrast to the characters' behaviors—a clever artistic deployment that deepens the conflict and infuses the play with new symbolic dimensions. On the level of spatial and temporal construction, the playwright masterfully delineated space, particularly in his depiction of the "orchard" and "Acre" (Akka). He transcended superficial description, elevating space to nuanced aesthetic and semantic levels that blend visual imagery with symbolic meaning. This spatial dimension coalesces with the element of time to structure the dramatic rhythm and heighten the sensory experience of the theatrical environment. Finally, the author successfully integrated folklore, specifically through "folk song," to craft a dramatic space wherein art is harnessed to serve thought. This atmospheric blending enabled him to pose highly sensitive and daring political and social critiques at a time when censorship restricted many writers from addressing such bold concepts.