Violation of Grice’s Maxims in the Arabic Comedy Madraset Al-Mushaghbeen

Abstract

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the violation of Grice’s maxims in the Arabic comedy Madraset Al-Mushaghbeen and explain how the violation of the maxims brings about humorous effects in the play. The data was collected by downloading the concerned play online. The analysis of study shows that 61 instances of maxims violation were identified in the play. Maxim of manner receives the highest percentage of violation i.e., 24 (39.3%) compared to the other maxims. Maxims of relevance and quality come next, i.e., 14 (22.9%) and 13 (21.4%). Maxim of quantity constitutes 10 number of violations (i.e., 21.4%). The findings of study show that most of maxim violations that create humorous situations are perceived through the following: rhetorical strategy of overstatement and personification, use of misleading conventional-coded expressions, incongruity of conversation-established concepts/ideas, and breaking of communication norms. The study findings also reveal that cultural and background knowledge significantly contribute to eliciting the humorous implicatures from the characters’ utterances.