Verbal Humour and Jokes in Shaw's HH and Coward's RV

The present study is an attempt to explore the role of verbal humour and jokes in comedy and to analyze the humorous instances, their structures, patterns of organization and narrative as well as thematic roles. It also seeks to implement the Humorous Texts Theory, namely the General Theory of Verbal Humour Model (GTVH), of George Bernard Shaw's Heartbreak House and Noel Coward's Relative Values. Besides, this study highlights the pragmatic and sociopsychological functions performed by humour and jokes in fictional/dramatic contexts.