Abstract
Structural semantics is the first book by Greimas where the foundations of
the semiotic concepts such as the isotophy, the semiotic square, the narration,
and the actantial model are established. Greimas has two models as the basis
of his studies: basic structures and narration. The first consists of the semiotic
square and structural model, the latter structured sequences and modalities.The
actantial model that can theoretically be used to analyse the actants syntactically
is grounded on two seminal works. These are Propp’s Morphology of Folk Tales
and Souriau’s 20000 Dramatic Situations. At the centre of the Actantial Model
there is the axis of desire which is not adequate to account for the production of
meaning, that is why the modalities and modalisation play a crucial role in the
semiotics of passion.