A Cooperative Principle Analysis of Rhetorical Devices in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the analysis of rhetorical devices pragmatically in terms of cooperative principle in particular its non-observance of conversational maxims in selected texts of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar play. In this research, the mixed method of qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed to describe and search for the rhetorical devices in the play, then for displaying the frequencies of rhetorical devices resulting from the observance of conversation maxims a table was drawn manually. However, the SPSS software version 22 is utilized to demonstrate the number and percentages of each maxim being broken. Next, the data were analysed. The pragmatic theory used to examine rhetorical devices is Grice’s (1975) cooperative principle which includes the four maxims of quality, quantity, relevance, and manner; and non-observance such as flouting, violating, opting out, suspending and infringing.