| The study of politeness phenomenon is favored by various scholars in many fields, while its opposite side—impoliteness is rarely researched and even regarded as a marginal act. However, impoliteness exists everywhere in daily conversation and even in drama discourse, which may play a very important role.This thesis mainly takes Pygmalion as data, applying Bousfield’s impoliteness theory as its major theoretical foundation, to analyze what discursive strategies the characters use to trigger, process and terminate impoliteness. Moreover, it further explores the functions of impoliteness in English drama discourse.After study, we conclude:Firstly, characters can use discursive pre-impolite utterances such as pre-question, pre-instruction, repeated pre-impolite utterances and extra-linguistic activity to trigger impoliteness in English drama discourse; Once the impoliteness is triggered, the addresser may adopt impoliteness tactics like using taboo words, dissociating from others, scorning, imposing and threatening to attack the addressee’s positive or negative face, while the addressee can choose different responses such as accepting, countering or silence to the addresser; Impoliteness can be terminated by using discursive strategies like submission to interactors, withdrawal, stand off and compromise. Secondly, the choices of different discursive strategies of impoliteness by different characters are related to their social roles—social distance and power. For example, those who are close to each other tend to adopt on-record impoliteness and accepting as its response strategy, while strangers are prone to use more polite utterances. Thirdly, the use of impoliteness in the drama can reveal the characters’personalities and their relationships. Moreover, impoliteness may highlight the conflicts among characters, between characters and environment, between characters and their inner world. Furthermore, it helps to promote the development of plots and stress the theme of drama. |
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