A Socio-Pragmatic Study of Impoliteness in William Wycherley's Comedy : The Plain Dealer

Abstract

Impoliteness is a linguistic aspect that has been seen as an opposite in orientation to politeness. It is unpleasant and rather minor in conversations. Nevertheless it is central and important in some discourses as in drama. The use of impoliteness in dramatic dialogue, especially in historical data, is important to know the social fabric of a society at that time. This study focuses on the investigation of impoliteness in historical data; a Restoration comedy entitled The Plain Dealer (1676) by William Wycherley. The current study also focuses on other functional types of impoliteness which are: affective impoliteness, coercive impoliteness and entertaining impoliteness.