Topic 12 - Meaning between the lines (Session A) > Practising Gricean Analysis > Task E > Our answer

Practising Gricean Analysis

Task E - Our answer

Falstaff's line
Falstaff flouts the maxim of quality in 'My Jove' and again in 'my heart', neither of which can be literally true. The obvious hyperbole implicates his strong attachment to King Henry V (note how similar this is to the 'Wild Thing' example in Task C).

'I speak to thee' flouts the maxim of quantity. He says something that the king must already know because he can clearly hear him speaking. The implicature that follows in context is that Falstaff is expecting the king to take special account of him - if he is speaking, the king should take notice.

King Henry V's line
Henry clearly flouts the maxim of quality in 'I know thee not', which is clearly false to all concerned. This implicates that he is refusing to acknowledge his previous close personal, relationship with Falstaff.

'Old man' flouts the maxim of quantity. Falstaff, and everyone else present, knows he is old. So this is clearly rude (nobody likes to be told they are old) and implicates that Falstaff has no physical power (in addition to the lack of social power) over the king. This rudeness is followed up by the final command in the line, where Henry demonstrates his new-found power by ordering Falstaff to get on his knees and pray. He does not say what Falstaff has to pray about, but in context the obvious inference is that he needs to pray that the king will not order that unpleasant things be done to him.

Home ¦ Outline ¦ Contents ¦ Glossary