Irony Analysis Linguistic Analysis of Verbal Humour Found in BBC Radio Drama
62 appeared on 00.17.47 within the object of the study. Table 4.18 presents the
analysis.
Table 4.18 Wit Analysis
Number of Verbal Humour: 41
Minutes in Radio Drama: 00.17.47
Dialogue: Arthur
: Why does the air on the top have to keep up the air
at the bottom? Why dont they just… split up?
Douglas : For the sake of the kids?
KR SO
Air vs. Marriage
LM False Analogy
SI Arthur is trying to learn how a plane flies.
TA None
NS
Conversation
LA Set-up
Arthur :
Why does the air on the top have to keep up the air at the bottom? Why dont they just
… split up? Punch line
Douglas :
For the sake of the kids? In the wit presented in table 4.18, the SO contrasted air and marriage. It
was to oppose clearly two different scripts. Using a false analogy as the Logical Mechanism LM, the wit wanted to provide fallacious comparison between two
things, air and marriage, to meet the need of laughter. With the SO and LM that had been defined, the wit was built within a
certain circumstance or situation SI, where Arthur was attempting to understand how a plane flies. With that situation, the target TA of the wit has an empty
value. The wit then was written within a conversation as the NS. In the end, the exact wording of the wit was presented in the table 4.18 where the punch line was,
again, positioned in the end of the wit. Based on the analysis discussion, it was concluded that the verbal humour
found in BBC Radio Drama Cabin Pressure: Abu Dhabi was analysed PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
63 linguistically using General Theory of Verbal Humour proposed by Attardo
1994 by employing the six Knowledge Resources KRs. They are, presented in hierarchical order, Script Opposition SO, Logical Mechanism LM, Situation
SI, Target TA, Narrative Strategy NS, and Language LA. Each of these Knowledge Resources was utilized to examine every element that constituted the
verbal humour. The analysis was conducted by investigating every element that constitutes
the verbal humour. It was done in hierarchical way, following the hierarchical order of the six Knowledge Resources KRs. It started by examining the verbal
humour using the most complex parameters, the Script Opposition SO and the Logical Mechanism LM. Then, the analysis was continued by utilizing the next
four KRs sequentially: The SI, TA, NS, and LA. It was done this way in order to closely examine the element of the humour from the core element first until the
way the humour was presented. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI