Abstract

While resilience is a well-developed construct in sociology and psychology, it is extremely under-researched in linguistics. This study addresses this gap by analyzing the linguistic portrayal of resilience in a historical speech by the granddaughter of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), Zainab. A mythological hero of bravery and profound wisdom, Zainab's speech in Yazid's court is a singular act of resistance against a tyrant. Guided by Appraisal Theory—a Systemic Functional Linguistics approach—this study explores the linguistic dynamics of her discourse. The analysis reveals how Zainab employs evaluative language in a strategic manner to build a personal resilience following her family's horrific death. Specifically, the analysis identifies three key channels through which this resilience is built: negative judgement, positive appreciation, and strategic engagement, each of which is graded by graduation. Her rhetoric is finally shown to be an effective instrument that renegotiated the terms of power in the conflict, transforming a superficial military defeat into a profound divine and moral victory. This study contributes to the broader literature on resilience through its identification of the specific linguistic mechanisms by which it was manifested within the genre of resistance discourse.