IRONY

What is IRONY? Irony: a contrast between expectation and reality

Types of IRONY Verbal Irony Situational Irony Dramatic Irony

Verbal IRONY …is the difference between what is spoken or written and what is really meant One common type of verbal irony is SARCASM.

Verbal Irony You say one thing but mean another. Or, what you say is not necessarily what you mean.

Examples of verbal irony: Romeo and Juliet opens with, "Two households, both alike in dignity, ...” but later you realize they are both violent and not dignified at all. You wake up have a terrible cold and feel awful—and you look like a mess! When you walk downstairs your mom greets you with, “Well, you look lovely this morning!”

Situational IRONY …occurs when there is a contrast between what is expected to happen and what actually happens Situational IRONY

Situational Irony What you expect to happen is the opposite of what actually happens. Often occurs in real life, but may occur in literature as well.

Examples of situational irony: A man branches from the main road to avoid being hit by a speeding car and is suddenly hit by a truck! You study really hard for your big literature test and fail it. The next test, you choose not to study and get an A+.

Dramatic Irony …occurs when the audience or reader knows something the characters don’t know

Dramatic Irony The reader has “inside” information on a character or events in a story. Therefore, the reader knows more about a situation in the story than the characters do; the reader is not surprised when an event occurs, but a character is. Only pertains to literature, T.V., or movies. Cannot happen in real life. (there is no audience, readers, or characters in real life)

Examples of dramatic irony: In “The Tell-Tale Heart” you know from the start that the narrator will murder the old man, but the old man doesn’t see it coming. Ever see a horror movie where a killer is on the loose? You know it is not smart for the group of teens to go walking in the woods late at night, but they think it will be fun. Needless to say, they become the next victim.

Literary Term Review: 1. Dramatic irony: the reader or audience knows something that a character does not know. 2. Verbal Irony: a person says or writes one thing and means another. 3. Situational Irony: An occasion in which the outcome is different from what was expected. Review definitions to check for understanding here.

Irony Vs. Coincidence Stop here unless you feel this is appropriate to teach at this time.

Irony vs. Coincidence Coincidence is when two things happen at the same time by chance (randomly). Irony is when the opposite of what you would expect happens.

Examples of coincidence vs. irony: If you meet your friend in the grocery store because she just happened to be there when you did, it is coincidental not ironic. You wear the same shirt as your friend on the same day, that is a coincidence. BUT, if one day you and a friend talk about how you have completely different styles and never dress alike, and the next day wear the same shirt that is ironic.