Concepts for analyzing deception in discourse intended to be persuasive: Two case studies from Shakespearean drama

The article examines two episodes from Shakespeare, one from Julius Caesar and the other one from Othello, in order to shed light on the nature of a type of deception often used by a speaker in discourse meant to persuade a hearer to adopt a particular course of action. Drawing on the episodes, two conceptual distinctions are proposed, one between overt and covert intentions and the other between first-order and second-order intentions. It is argued that the distinctions make it possible to formulate a structured framework for analyzing the type of deception in question. The model proposed also draws on Gricean maxims, emphasizing the role of the maxims of Quality and Quantity, first part.