Why dramatic irony is used

Download this entire guide PDF. Teachers and parents! Struggling with distance learning? Our Teacher Editions can help. Dramatic Irony Definition What is dramatic irony? Some additional key details about dramatic irony: This type of irony is called "dramatic" not because it has any exaggerated or tragic qualities, but because it originated in ancient Greek drama.

Dramatic irony is particularly well-suited for the stage: in an ordinary play, the characters enter and exit constantly and even the scenery may change, but the audience stays in place, so at any given point their understanding of the story is bound to be more complete than any one character's understanding may be.

Classical theatre typically employed the device to create a sense of tension—it's a very common device in tragedies. Modern-day cinema and television also often use dramatic irony to rack up laughs, since it can have a strong comedic effect. In the last twenty years or so, the term " irony " has become popular to describe an attitude of detachment or subversive humor.

This entry isn't about that type of irony—or any of the other types of irony that exist see more below. This entry focuses on dramatic irony as a literary device. How to Pronounce Dramatic Irony Here's how to pronounce dramatic irony: druh- mat -ick eye -run-ee Dramatic Irony in Depth Dramatic irony is used to create several layers of perspective on a single set of events: some characters know very little, some know quite a lot, and the audience in most cases knows the fullest version of the story.

When Characters are in on the Dramatic Irony In some literary works, one of the characters knows much more than the others, and so becomes a kind of secondary audience, displaying the pleasures and misunderstandings of dramatic irony directly on the stage. How Dramatic Irony Relates to Other Types of Irony Irony is a broad term that encompasses quite a few types of irony, which we describe below.

Dramatic Irony vs. Irony Generally speaking, irony is a disconnect between appearance and reality which points toward a greater insight. Verbal Irony Verbal irony is the most common type of irony, in which what one says is different from what one means. Situational Irony Another common form of irony is situational irony , which is another useful and common plot device. Other Forms of Irony Less common forms of irony include cosmic irony, in which fateful or divine forces continually foil a character's strivings; historical irony, in which a historical event turns out to have a very different meaning in hindsight; and Socratic irony, a conversational technique described in Plato's dialogues, in which a speaker feigns ignorance in order to trick their interlocutor into revealing the flaws in his or her own argument.

Dramatic Irony Examples Examples in Literature Dramatic Irony in Tess of the D'Urbervilles Dramatic irony often plays a significant structural role in stories defined by secrecy and suffering, so it's no surprise that it appears frequently in the novels of Thomas Hardy.

Early on, before they are acquainted, Angel says to himself: "What a fresh and virginal daughter of Nature that milkmaid is! Dramatic Irony in An Ideal Husband Oscar Wilde's madcap plays are also full of dramatic irony, but to a quite different effect. Cheveley then triumphantly announces Sir Chiltern's decision to his wife, Lady Chiltern, who is shocked to learn of her husband's corruption: Lady Chiltern: Why did you wish to meet my husband, Mrs. Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Rex One of the earliest and most famous, albeit unusual, examples of dramatic irony takes place in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex.

Oedipus often speaks out vehemently against the murderer, as, for example, when he says: Now my curse on the murderer. Whoever he is, a lone man unknown in his crime or one among many, let that man drag out his life in agony, step by painful step— What Oedipus doesn't know until the very end of the play is that he himself murdered King Laius, and that he is inadvertently cursing himself.

Examples of Dramatic Irony in Horror Films Dramatic irony appears frequently in horror movies, because it lends such stories an extra measure of painful suspense. Dramatic Irony in Night of the Living Dead At the end of the film, Ben, the protagonist, is the only human left alive in the house after a zombie attack. Dramatic Irony in Halloween In this beloved classic, a killer hides in the Wallace house and murders every teenager that enters, one by one.

Dramatic Irony in Buffy the Vampire Slayer One example of dramatic irony in the television series Buffy takes place when Buffy's boyfriend Angel loses his soul, but Buffy remains unaware.

Other Helpful Dramatic Irony Resources Wikipedia page for irony with a subsection for dramatic irony. An extensive list of examples of dramatic irony in different forms of media. Cite This Page. Sign up. Literary Terms Related to Dramatic Irony. See all Literary Terms Sign up! PDF downloads of all LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish.

Detailed quotes explanations with page numbers for every important quote on the site. Teacher Editions with classroom activities for all titles we cover. Line-by-line modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Definitions and examples of literary terms and devices. Instant PDF downloads. Refine any search. It is when you give your reader plot information that the main character does not have until later on in the story. Sometimes you want to keep all of your characters in the dark about a major plot point that will only be revealed in the climax.

When using dramatic irony, it should tie in with your theme. The characters must make a statement in the story, through dialogue or action, which throws the absurdity, danger, or emotion of the scene into relief.

The dialogue will usually have a changed or opposite meaning. Similarly, the action will be misconstrued in some way, or cause a complication. Here are the four reasons why you would use dramatic irony in a story, together with four examples, and their ironic statements. Phillipa is young detective is hunting down a serial killer targeting women. She works with her older partner, Rob. She sees him as a trusted mentor. Eventually they arrest a schizophrenic vagrant and she thinks the case is closed.

When she finds video surveillance that puts the vagrant in another location at the time of one of the killings, the first person she turns to is Rob and goes to his house, alone. Of course he will know what to do — kill her. Suspicious, she checks his iPad and finds online bookings for a romantic break for two.

Dramatic irony exists when the audience knows information that the main characters do not. The writer uses this technique intentionally to keep the audience engrossed and engaged while watching what is on the screen or stage. Learn how writers use situational irony in the opposite way — to surprise the audience.

You can also check out these literary and everyday examples of verbal irony. All rights reserved. Examples of Dramatic Irony Dramatic irony is one of the most effective types of irony because it makes the audience feel helpless to change the outcome.

Some examples include: A woman thinks her boyfriend is acting strangely because he's about to propose, but the audience knows that he is planning to run away with another woman, intensifying emotions. In a scary movie, the character goes into a house they think is empty, but the audience knows the killer is in the house. This increases the suspense. Sometimes a person is in disguise and the other character talks with him as if he is someone else.

Since this is known by the audience, it adds to the humor of the dialogue. In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , the audience knows Juliet is in a drugged sleep, so when Romeo thinks she is dead and kills himself followed by Juliet doing the same it increases the audience's shock and sense of helplessness.

In Ibsen 's A Doll's House , the audience knows Nora borrowed money forging her father's signature and her husband is unaware. We also know Nora's husband thinks of her as a doll and Nora is unaware. In Shakespeare's Hamlet , we are aware that Hamlet knows the truth about his father's murder and that Hamlet is not mad.

He is simply deceiving others so that he can plan his revenge. He does not reveal his true feelings to the other characters but the audience is fully aware of them.