Already ye are filled! The rhetorical-argumentative figure of irony in corpus paulinum

Abstract

This paper aims to reflect on the enunciative power of the rhetorical figure of irony, which constitutes an indirect argumentative reasoning, but is no less persuasive. By stating the opposite of what someone really wants to enunciate, to highlight a different conclusion from those someone intended and its consequences, by pointing out the absurdity, the illogic, the opposition to accepted principles, irony establishes an at least partial distance between the speaker and the audience. Based on common knowledge about facts, rules or opinions, and even about the personal positions of the speaker, irony exposes the person to whom it is addressed to an argument having a strong impact. In this process logos reveals differences, levels of tensions among interlocutors and as a result it may strengthen the weak identities, reduce strong differences, or even establish a definitive estrangement. This analysis is based on the concepts of the New Rhetoric of Chaim Perelman, observing the persuasive role of this rhetorical figure in the maneuvers of influence of someone that enunciates. Considering that we studied texts written in the Greek language, the grammar of Prof. Henrique Murachco will be our theoretical apparatus for translations to Portuguese.