Integrating Elements of Body Language to the Analysis of Impoliteness in Drama

Spencer-Oatey’s (2002, 2008) model of rapport management is used for the analysis of (non)linguistic impoliteness in one scene of the play Doubt: A Parable (2004) and its adaptation Doubt (2008). The behavior of the two main characters, Sr. Aloysius and Fr. Flynn, in this scene of the play is first analyzed according to Spencer-Oatey’s linguistic model. Then, their kinesic behavior is also examined by referring to the same model. The results show that the analysis of performance as the non-linguistic aspect of behavior is both possible and necessary for a more comprehensive understanding of impoliteness in drama.