A Comparative Analysis of Politeness Strategies in the Animated Cartoon Angelo Rules and Its Dubbed Arabic Version

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to compare the politeness strategies in the English version of the animated cartoon Angelo Rules with those in the dubbed Arabic version, focusing on whether the different cultures have an effect on the politeness strategies used. The data for the analysis came from four episodes in English and four episodes in Arabic that were identical to the English episodes, and the analysis was based on Brown and Levinson’s framework. The study examined the use of positive politeness, negative politeness and bald on-record strategies by the characters. The findings revealed the existence of positive politeness, negative politeness and bald on-record strategies, which were found in nearly all the English and Arabic episodes analysed. Positive politeness (in particular, exaggerating interest and including both the speaker and hearer in the activity) and bald on-record strategies were the most commonly used in the selected data. Furthermore, no significant difference in politeness strategies used was found between the four English episodes and the same episodes dubbed into Arabic.