This thesis deals with the definitions of irony, and sarcasm, as well as with their influence on the interpersonal interaction, focusing on whether they offend, or amuse the addressee. Such influence on the interpersonal communication, and, consequently, their relationships, results especially from the double nature of humour, particularly in instances of more aggressive kinds of it, as irony, and sarcasm, since such types of humour have a greater potential for provoking conflicts. The analysis in the empirical part focuses on interaction amongst characters in the British humorous series My Family. As a result, the thesis exposes irony, and sarcasm as typical components of British humour, and, hence, British humorous series. Concerning the treatment of irony, and sarcasm in the thesis, it needs to be emphasised that, in lines with the theory adopted, the border line between these two very similar kinds of humour is solely based on the nature of the target of criticism, or mockery. It exposes that sarcasm is always directed at a person; whereas, irony never targets a human being. It is precisely the personal target of sarcasm that typically affords it a greater potential to offend the addressee, which is also supported by the results of the analysis of the eighth season of the series, used in the empirical part of the thesis.
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