Chapter 1 Introduction 1
1.1．The study of character in drama 1
1.2．Language and dialogue in drama 4
1.2.1 Traditional perspectives 4
1.2.2 The influence of semiotics and speech-act theory 5
1.2.3 Discourse analysis and dramatic dialogue 8
1.3．Dramatic dialogue as spoken discourse 8
1.3.1 Language through drama 9
1.3.2 Drama through language 10
1.4 The benefits of an eclectic approach 12
1.5 Dramatic texts and conversational data used in this study 14
Chapter 2 Dramatic dialogue and conversation 18
2.1 Do people in plays talk like people in real life? 19
2.2 Discourse structure 22
2.3 Characterization of spoken interaction 24
2.4 How far is drama a mimesis of conversation? 26
2.5 Accounting for the differences 34
2.6 Conclusion 38
Chapter 3 Structure of conversation(1)-models and contributions from the Birmingham School 39
3.1 The concept of structure in discourse 39
3.2 Structural frameworks:Sinclair & Coulthard,Burton,and Francis & H？ston 42
3.2.1 Act 43
3.2.2 Move 44
3.2.3 Exchange 45
3.2.4 Transaction 46
3.2.5 Interaction 47
3.3 The criteria for characterizing utterances 47
3.4 Conversational patterning-the system of choices 50
3.5 Modifications to Burton's framework 53
3.5.1 Supporting and challenging moves 53
3.5.2 Different types of challenging moves 56
3.5.3 The follow-up move 58
3.5.4 Categories and subcategories of acts 60
3.5 Conclusion 61
Chapter 4 Structure of conversation(2)-the ethnomethodological approach 63
4.1 Discourse analysis versus conversation analysis 64
4.2 The concepts of accountability and intersubjectivity 66
4.3 The systematics of turn taking 70
4.4 Turn sequencing 73
4.4.1 Adjacency pairs 73
4.4.2 Preference organization 76
4.5 The significance of silence 79
4.6 Conclusion 81
Chapter 5 From structures of conversation to the analysis of dramatic dialogue:preliminaries 83
5.1 Constructing a loose framework for the study of dramatic dialogue and characterization 83
5.2 Topical structure and topical development 85
5.3 Aspects of characterization 90
5.4 Context 93
5.5 The global context of Look Back in Anger 96
5.6 Extracts chosen for analysis 102
Chapter 6 Extract Ⅰ:The opening scene of Look Back in Anger 103
6.1 The opening scene:an overview 103
6.2 Topical episode and topical development 104
6.3 Turn-taking 109
6.4 Discourse structure 113
6.5 Jimmy's questions 118
6.6 Summary discussion 121
Chapter 7 Extract Ⅱ:Conversation with four characters present 130
7.1 The setting of Extract Ⅱ 130
7.2 Topical episodes and topical development 132
7.3 Turn-taking 137
7.4 Discourse structure 143
7.5 Silence and the identification of turn-lapse 146
7.6 Summary discussion 149
Chapter 8 Extract Ⅲ:A variation of the opening scene 157
8.1 A familiar scene with a significant difference:the context of Extract Ⅲ 157
8.2 Topical episodes and topical development 158
8.3 Turn-taking 163
8.4 Discourse structure 166
8.5 Summary discussion 170
Conclusion 180
Notes 186
References 189