SEMIOTIC THEORY

WHAT IS SEMIOTICS?

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols,

examining how they convey meaning in
language, culture and communication. It
explores the intricate ways symbols shape
human understanding.
FERDINAND DE SAUSSURE
Saussure was a french
linguist that was one of the
first to produce a semiotic
theory during work in the
early 1900’s. Saussure
stated that a sign is made of
two parts, the SIGNIFIER
AND THE SIGNIFIED.
FERDINAND DE SAUSSURE
SIGNIFIER- any motion, gesture,
image, sound, pattern, or event
that conveys meaning and
communicates.

SIGNIFIED- the concept that a

signifier refers to, the meaning it
conveys.
 CHARLES SANDES PIERCE

Charles Sandes Pierce Pierce stated

was an American semiotics to be the
philosopher that also relationship between
formulated a semiotic a SYMBOL, ICON and
theory around the INDEX.
same time as
Saussure, the early
1900’s.
 CHARLES SANDES PIERCE
ICONS- it is the physical
resemblance to the
thing being represented. Pierce stated
SYMBOLS- it has no semiotics to be the
resemblance between relationship between
the signifier and the a SYMBOL, ICON and
signified. The connection INDEX.
between them must be
culturally learned.

INDEX- shows evidence

for the existence of what
it refers to.
 ROLAND BARTHES
Roland Barthes was a French
literary theorist, essayist,
philosopher, critic and
semiotician. His work engaged
in the analysis of a variety of
sign systems, mainly derived
from Western Popular culture.
SEMIOTIC
APPROACHES
Roland Barthes’ notions
from semiotic have become
widespread in the study of
popular culture. These
semiotic notions are:
SEMIOTIC OPPOSITION
APPROACHES
Roland Barthes’ notions
from semiotic have become
widespread in the study of
popular culture. These
semiotic notions are:
SEMIOTIC OPPOSITION
APPROACHES
MYTHOLOGY THEORY
Roland Barthes’ notions
from semiotic have become
widespread in the study of
popular culture. These
semiotic notions are:
SEMIOTIC OPPOSITION
APPROACHES
MYTHOLOGY THEORY
Roland Barthes’ notions
from semiotic have become
widespread in the study of REPRESENTATION
popular culture. These
semiotic notions are:
SEMIOTIC OPPOSITION
APPROACHES
MYTHOLOGY THEORY
Roland Barthes’ notions
from semiotic have become
widespread in the study of REPRESENTATION
popular culture. These
semiotic notions are: CODE THEORY
SEMIOTIC OPPOSITION
APPROACHES
MYTHOLOGY THEORY
Roland Barthes’ notions
from semiotic have become
widespread in the study of REPRESENTATION
popular culture. These
semiotic notions are: CODE THEORY
 SEMIOTIC APPROACHES
OPPOSITION

Opposition implies that we do not

perceive the meaning of something in an
absolute way, but in differential ways.
Marcel Danesi explains this through the
contrast of day and night.
 SEMIOTIC APPROACHES
MYTHOLOGY THEORY

Myhthology theory is the notion that “the spectacles

recycle ancient mythic themes to modern day guise”.
This is the reason why we are captivated by narratives
that use “mythical meaning systems” such as “good
versus evil, hero versus villain, and so on”.
 SEMIOTIC APPROACHES
REPRESENTATION
Representation is the “process of depicting or
recounting something” through “special
interpretation”. Philosopher Plato and Aristotle were
the first to employ representation as “the primary
means through which human beings came to
perceive reality.”
 SEMIOTIC APPROACHES
CODE THEORY
Code Theory is an “expressive strategy that involves
creating a text in a specific context according to
code or set of codes. The concept of code was
introduced by Ferdinand de Saussure. To further
explain the concept of code theory, Marcel Danesi
uses the example of the fictional hero Superman.