Prokopenko N. N., Voropai S. V. Theory of comicality: the identification of the essence of the phenomenon for studying the humorous discourse

Abstract

The article is devoted to the investigation of the nature of comicality as an aesthetic-linguistic
phenomenon. Different theoretical ideas concerning the understanding of the aesthetic category of
comicality in the historical spectrum are analyzed with the aim of its linguistic interpretation for the
further investigation of the concept of «humorous discourse». The paper deals with the main motives
that penetrate all known theories of laughter and are related to the essence of the comicality. In
particular, the scientific investigations of Y. Borev, B. Dzemidok, T. Lyubimova, V. Propp, A. Sichov,
A. Shcherbyna and other researchers have been analyzed in order to determine the criteria for
delimiting the concepts of «comicality» and «fun» as functional categories of humorous discourse.
The comicality is considered to be a deviation from the norm, which is interpreted as a generally
accepted one, an obligatory order, inherent in public, social, and moral rules. Such an understanding
of the phenomenon of comicality is extrapolated to humorous discourse, which is formed by
mechanisms that are expressed in expressiveness, intensification of speech, and are generated by
linguistic means, which are often put into a humorous text with violations of generally accepted
linguistic standards.