Meccanismi dell'umorismo verbale in ‘Cuatro corazones con freno y marcha atràs' di E. Jardiel Poncela: i giochi di parole

The aim of this paper is to examine one of the essential mechanisms in the verbal humour of Enrique Jardiel Poncela's theatrical works, specifically focusing on one of his plays: Cuatro corazones con freno y marcha atrás (1936). In this text, the use of the pun is almost always present and it is often the basis upon which misunderstanding is produced by exploiting the language polysemous potentialities. In some cases, this strategy results as self-sufficient with respect to the action; in others, it unfolds along with the events, thus highlighting their effects.