Name-Calling as Power Play in Shakespeare's 1 Henry IV

Abstract

In lieu on an abstract, here are a few sentences from an early paragraph of the article. The main premise of this paper is that name-calling- as when youngsters call each other Fatty, Skinny, or Sissy-is a form of authorship as well as an instrument used in maintaining social norms. The name-caller is creating a specific role for the victim by use of a name with particular denotations, connotations, and assumed social values. By so doing, the name-caller is defining an appropriate scope of action or behavior, with expected patterns of response to external events- a plot, if you will- for the victim.