Comparative Study of the Use of Irony between British English and Spanish in the TV Series Doc Martin and Doctor Mateo

Jakoš, Teja (author), Pihler Ciglič, Barbara (mentor), Ilc, Gašper (mentor)

This thesis discusses verbal irony, a pragmatic and social phenomenon, and its use in the British and Spanish cultural environment. Many influential theories that have developed since the end of the 19th century until the present are discussed in this paper. The main purpose of this thesis is to establish the differences and similarities in the use of verbal irony between two series, having in mind the characteristics of both cultures. This was accomplished by means of a comparative analysis of the ironic examples from the original TV series Doc Martin and its Spanish adaptation Doctor Mateo. Irony is an important part of both cultures; nevertheless, the main hypothesis of this thesis is that irony is far more typical of British culture than Spanish culture. Based on objective observations and facts, this hypothesis is confirmed by the analysis of twenty-one ironic scenes that appear identical in both series. Nevertheless, the results gathered do not manifest the significant gap between the series that was initially expected.

• Language: English
• Keywords: irony, British English, Spanish, differences, TV series
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2023
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-150516
• Publication date in RUL: 20.09.2023

JAKOŠ, Teja, 2023, Comparative Study of the Use of Irony between British English and Spanish in the TV Series Doc Martin and Doctor Mateo [online]. Master’s thesis. [Accessed 19 May 2025]. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=150516

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Primerjava rabe ironije med britansko angleščino in španščino v TV serijah Doc Martin in Doctor Mateo

Abstract

To magistrsko delo predstavi številne definicije in rabo ironije, pojavom, ki predstavlja pomemben segment v pragmatiki kot lingvistični disciplini in je del tako britanske kot španske kulture. Predstavljeni so različni jezikoslovci in njihove teorije o ironiji, ki so se razvijale od konca 19. stoletja do danes. Glavni namen tega magistrskega dela je ugotoviti razlike in podobnosti v rabi ironije med dvema serijama posnetima v kontekstu dveh različnih kultur, in sicer britansko in špansko. Razlike in podobnosti med kulturama smo ugotovili s primerjavo ironičnih situacij iz originalne televizijske serije Doc Martin in njene španske adaptacije Doctor Mateo. Ironija je sicer pomemben del obeh kultur, vendar smo na začetku tega magistrskega dela predvidevali, da je značilnejša za britansko. Objektivni podatki analize, ki smo jih zbrali na podlagi 21 ironičnih situacij, so naše predvidevanje sicer potrdili, vendar smo pričakovali, da bo ta razlika očitnejša, kot se je izkazalo na koncu.

• Keywords: ironija, britanska angleščina, španščina, razlike, serije