Political
discourse has recently been the center of attention of many academics as well
as laymen, which is explained by the strenuous international situation in the
world. According to Critical Discourse Analysis, politicians use political
language as a means of gaining power (Van Dijk, 2009) through different
strategies, the main of which are persuasion and manipulation. To achieve this
aim different expressive means are used. This article examines humour and irony as a
way to influence the audience and contribute to the effect of the politician’s
speech. The topic of irony and humour in
politics has attracted the attention of scholars and rhetors for a long time.
Yet, it still remains a debatable question whether it is appropriate for a
speaker to use humour and irony in political speech and what effect it has on
the audience. Modern authors characterize humour and irony as “interpersonal
weapons” (Arroyo, 2010) and as devices which help
to cope with different difficult scenarios, like pre-election campaign or interviews (O’Connell,
Kowal, 2005). In this study the notions of humour and irony are explored; the
authentic material based on the speeches of British and American politicians is
analyzed to draw the conclusion that humour and irony are important and
powerful tools in the speeches of skillful politicians. The paper aims to
contribute to a better understanding of irony and humour in modern political
discourse. The results of the study can be used in educating public speakers
and pose a challenge for the further development of the theory of political
discourse.
humour irony political discourse strategy persuasion manipulation
Birincil Dil | İngilizce |
---|---|
Bölüm | Makaleler |
Yazarlar | |
Yayımlanma Tarihi | 10 Ocak 2019 |
Gönderilme Tarihi | 30 Ekim 2018 |
Yayımlandığı Sayı | Yıl 2018Cilt: 4 Sayı: 12 |
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