Typology of impoliteness strategies in the discourse of W. Shakespeare

Abstract

The article identifies impoliteness strategies in the dramatic discourse of W. Shakespeare and provides their typology on cognitive and communicative basis. Parameters of analyzing impoliteness strategies are summarized and the necessity of including the notion of intersubjectivity into the methodological basis of studying impoliteness is justified. According to the parameters of situationality, intentionality, face, communicative norm and emotionality of perlocution main types of impoliteness strategies in Shakespeare’s dramas are determined: strategy of intrusion with tactics of disturbance and intended harm; strategy of imposition with tactics of unreasonable self-confidence, immoderacy and moral exaggeration, disrespectful attitude, shamelessness, selfishness; strategy of unwarranted exclusion of the hearer with tactics of non-acceptance/distancing, avoidance of speech or disability to speak, unfriendliness, hostility, insensitivity, intentional neglect of other people’s feelings; strategy of devaluation of the hearer with tactics of humiliating and criticism; strategy of violation of a norm with tactics of violating aesthetical, ethical and rational norms; strategy of mock impoliteness with tactics of sarcasm, banter and inappropriate playfulness. The article also presents cognitive and pragmatic characteristics of certain types of impoliteness strategies, and specifies linguistic means of their realization in discourse. The most frequent impoliteness strategies in Shakespearean dramas are identified and the possibility of concurrent use of several strategies within one communicative interaction is emphasized.