Vocative Constructions in the Language of Shakespeare (Pragmatics and Beyond New Series)
Published by: englishcology (Karma: 4552.52) on 27 June 2009 | Views: 2235
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This study investigates the functions, meanings, and varieties of forms of address in Shakespeare’s dramatic work. New categories of Shakespearean vocatives are developed and the grammar of vocatives is investigated in, above, and below the clause, following morpho-syntactic, semantic, lexicographical, pragmatic, social and contextual criteria. Going beyond the conventional paradigm of power and solidarity and with recourse to Shakespearean drama as both text and performance, the study sees vocatives as foregrounded experiential, interpersonal and textual markers. Shakespeare’s vocatives construe, both quantitatively and qualitatively, habitus and identity. They illustrate relationships or messages. They reflect Early Modern, Shakespearean, and intra- or inter-textual contexts. Theoretically and methodologically, the study is interdisciplinary. It draws on approaches from (historical) pragmatics, stylistics, Hallidayean grammar, corpus linguistics, cognitive linguistics, socio-historical linguistics, sociology, and theatre semiotics. This study contributes, thus, not only to Shakespeare studies, but also to literary linguistics and literary criticism.
Table of contents
List of illustrations
xiii–xiv
Preface and acknowledgements
xv–xvi
List of abbreviations
xvii–xviii
Chapter 1. This study
1–65
Chapter 2. Theoretical framework: Shakespeare’s language as social semiotic
67–93
Chapter 3. “What is the focative case, William?” –: the grammar of vocatives in Shakespeare and systemic functional grammar
95–127
Chapter 4. What’s in a vocative ? –: the experiential, interpersonal, and textual meanings of Shakespearean vocatives: a polyphony of voices
129–289
Chapter 5. “Language most shows a man: speak, that I may see thee.” –: Vocatives in context
291–411
Chapter 6. Vocatives in Shakespeare and the theatre
