配合課本 file 8.4 Rules of Conversation
Cited from “An Introduction to Language” p. 213
“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.
~William Shakespeare, Hamlet
Shakespeare recognize when a series of sentences “hangs together” or
when it is disjointed. The following discourse, which gave rise to
Polonius’ above remark, does not seem quite right—it is not coherent.
Polonius: What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet: Words, words, words.
Polonius: What is the matter, my lord?
Hamlet: Between who?
Polonius: I mean, the matter that you read, my lord.
Hamlet: Slanders, sir: for the satirical rogue says here that old men have
gray beards, that their faces are wrinkled, their eyes purging thick
amber and plum-tree gum, and that they have a plentiful lack of
wit, together with most weak hams: all which, sir, though I most
powerfully and potently believe, yet I hold it not honesty to have
it thus set down; for yourself, sir, should grow old as I am, if like
a crab you could go backward. (Hamlet, Act II, Scene ii)
（Hamlet的叔叔殺了他爸爸強娶她媽媽，他決定裝瘋來趁機報仇，他
叔叔派老臣Polonius來刺探真假，Polonius在聽完Hamlet這段不知所
云的哮話後，就回去跟他叔叔報告說Hamlet真的瘋了。）
Hamlet, who is feigning insanity, refuses to answer Polonius’ questions “in
good faith.” He has violated certain conversational conventions, or
maxims of conversation (i.e. “rules of conversation” in Language Files).
One such maxim, the maxim of quantity, states that a speaker’s
contribution to the discourse should be as informative as is
required—neither more nor less. Hamlet has violated this maxim in both
directions. In answering “Words, words, words” to the question of what
he is reading, he is providing too little information. His final remark goes
to the other extreme in providing too much information.
He also violates the maxim of relevance when he “misinterprets” the
question about the reading matter as a matter between two individuals.
The “run-on” nature of Hamlet’s final remark, a violation of the
maxim of manner, is another source of incoherence. This effect is
increased in the final sentence by the somewhat bizarre metaphor that
compares growing younger with walking backward, a violation of the
maxim of quality, which requires sincerity and truthfulness.
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