CONVERSATIONAL IMPLICATURE IN PRISON BREAK E102

Abstrak

Implicature plays a significant role in both literature and everyday communication, as it allows speakers to convey meanings that are not explicitly stated. This study aims to identify and analyze the types of conversational implicatures found and its hidden meaning in dialogues from the television series Prison Break. The purpose of this research is to explore how implicature functions not only as a linguistic phenomenon but also as a narrative device that reflects character dynamics and emotional depth within a high-stakes prison environment. The novelty of this study lies in its focus on implicature in a serialized crime drama, where indirect communication serves as a strategic tool for survival, manipulation, and resistance. This area has received limited attention in previous studies. Using a descriptive qualitative method, the study collects and examines selected dialogues based on Grice’s theory of implicature. The findings show that particularized implicatures are dominant, making up 80% of the data. This result highlights how heavily characters use context-dependent communication to express hidden intentions, avoid direct confrontation, and navigate complex relationships. The use of implicature in Prison Break is shown to be essential not only for character development but also for building tension and advancing the storyline, reinforcing its role as a powerful narrative technique.