Multimodality and persuasive functions of irony and ridicule in a political trial

The paper defines the notions of laughter, humour, ridicule and irony in terms of a cognitive model of communication and social action, and analyses some uses of irony and ridiculisation in an Italian trial of high political import, that has been seen as a “degradation ritual” of a whole political class. In ridiculisation, one remarks some lack of power of the other, that contrasts with some pretended superiority but in fact is not threatening: thus laughing at someone makes you feel superior, while the other feels abased and humiliated. In irony the Speaker, by means of the literal meaning of his communicative act, indirectly implies a different meaning with an opposite valence. By analysing the multimodal expression and the persuasive structure of cases of irony and ridiculisation in the “Clean Hands” trial, the paper shows how irony is mainly used in that trial to challenge the credibility of the accused, while ridicule is used to lower the opponent’s power.