Intertextual elements as a means of creating a comic effect (based on the 17th century Russian satires)

This study aims to determine the role of intertextual elements in creating a comic effect in the 17th century Russian satires. Two novels representing the humorous literature of the 17th century Russia serve as the material of the research: The Tale of Drunkard and The Tale of the Peasant’s Son. Medieval culture is based on Christianity with the biblical text at its core. Intertextual elements represented by biblical allusions and quotes are important elements in the plot and composition of the texts under research. The results of the analysis in terms of lexis and stylistics show that the comic effect created by intertextual elements is based on the contrast of modalities between the source and target texts, which is achieved due to the antithesis “heavenly/earthly”. Despite the fact that the texts of the Bible have different artistic modalities, the episodes of the Old and New Testaments quoted in the texts in question do not possess satirical modality per se, which results in a conflict that develops between the target and the source texts, the comic effect being driven by this conflict. On the level of the language it is reflected in lexical units with different stylistic marking being constantly used within one sentence or in adjacent sentences. Each biblical allusion or quote contains Church Slavonic lexemes, which have solemn and sublime marking. In parodies on the biblical text allusions and quotes acquire new lexical environment, in particular, the Church Slavonic vocabulary is substituted by commonplace words, which leads to the conflict of modalities, and, consequently, creates a comic effect. 

intertextual elements, 17th century Russian satires, comic effect, modality