As well as being an important social and cultural phenomenon, politeness may also be regarded as a function of speech, i.e. a set of principles, rules or maxims governing a competent speaker's use of language. Although this is clearly manifested in the structure and actual use of utterances
in a given conversation context, far mote than Saussure's langue and parole arc involved in that historical, sociological and psychological aspects have to be taken into account. Thus, in analysing politeness in a fictional text it is essential to establish the historical setting as well as
to examine the social hierarchy and valid conventions; as far as psychology is concerned, a scrutiny of the characters is necessary. Moreover, the course their interaction takes is crucial:
"Every choice A makes affects the force of B's options, and vice versa, so even politeness is determined jointly" (Clark 1996: 316). These methodological premises imply that, even though the emphasis in this paper is on linguistic results, external factors cannot be ignored without distorting the outcome. However, it seems legitimate to integrate these factors only to the degree
to which they contribute to the linguistic enterprise undertaken here. As to the theories of politeness that are utilized, it must be noted that they all fall short of explaining the evidence satisfactorily, but they nevertheless allow for interesting inferences and are therefore useful
heuristic tools. 1
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Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Politeness - a fuzzy concept and its linguistic repercussions in fiction
- Theories of politeness
- Lakoff's rule-guided approach
- Leech's Politeness Principle and its maxims
- Brown and Levinson's constructivist theory
- Projecting politeness theories onto Shakespeare's dramatic works
- Shakespeare's use of politeness - a linguistic analysis
- Bald on record and off record
- Positive Politeness
- Negative Politeness
- Forms of address
- Context, register and the purposes of courteous speech
- Concluding remarks: Elizabethan vs. modern politeness
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper explores the manifestation of politeness in Shakespeare's dramatic works, examining how this concept is expressed through language and interaction. The primary objective is to analyze the linguistic features that contribute to politeness in Shakespeare's plays, drawing on established theoretical frameworks. Here are the main themes:- The evolution of politeness theories, comparing and contrasting the approaches of Lakoff, Leech, and Brown and Levinson.
- Identifying and analyzing key linguistic features of politeness in Shakespeare's works, including bald on record and off record strategies, positive and negative politeness, and forms of address.
- Examining the influence of historical context, social hierarchy, and character dynamics on the portrayal of politeness in Shakespeare's plays.
- Comparing Elizabethan notions of politeness with contemporary understandings, highlighting potential differences and continuities.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Politeness - a fuzzy concept and its linguistic repercussions in fiction: This chapter introduces the concept of politeness as a social and linguistic phenomenon, highlighting the need to consider historical, sociological, and psychological factors when analyzing politeness in fictional texts. The chapter emphasizes the importance of examining interaction dynamics and the interconnectedness of choices made by characters in shaping the expression of politeness.
- Theories of politeness: This chapter presents a brief overview of prominent theories of politeness, including Lakoff's rule-guided approach, Leech's Politeness Principle and its maxims, and Brown and Levinson's constructivist theory. The chapter provides a framework for understanding the theoretical foundations of politeness research and highlights the different perspectives offered by these theories.
- Shakespeare's use of politeness - a linguistic analysis: This chapter delves into the specific linguistic features of politeness in Shakespeare's works, focusing on strategies such as bald on record, off record, positive politeness, negative politeness, and forms of address. The analysis utilizes the theoretical frameworks presented in the previous chapter to provide a nuanced understanding of how Shakespeare's characters employ language to achieve polite interaction.
- Context, register and the purposes of courteous speech: This chapter examines the role of context, register, and the overall purpose of communication in shaping the expression of politeness in Shakespeare's plays. It explores how factors such as social hierarchy, situational demands, and character relationships influence the linguistic strategies employed.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This paper focuses on the linguistic study of politeness in Shakespeare's dramatic works, drawing on theories of politeness, particularly Lakoff's rule-guided approach, Leech's Politeness Principle, and Brown and Levinson's constructivist theory. Key terms include politeness strategies, bald on record, off record, positive politeness, negative politeness, forms of address, historical context, social hierarchy, and character dynamics.- Quote paper
- Dr. Martin Holz (Author), 1999, Manifestations of politeness in Shakespeare's dramatic works, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/114559
