The Crucible: Irony Anna MacDonald Avin Bommakanti Colin Hogue Bri Spencer

Dramatic Irony  The type of irony that is in a piece of writing where the reader or audience knows what is happening to the character(s) while another character(s) doesn’t know what is happening. Meaning, the words and actions of the characters have a different meaning for the reader than they do for the characters.

Examples  Romeo and Juliet: Romeo sees Juliet “dead” when we, as the audience and readers, know that she is under a sleeping potion.  In court, when Proctor confesses his affair, Elizabeth doesn’t know he confessed it.

Situational Irony  refers to an occurrence that is contrary to what is expected/intended

Examples  Proctor’s wife said she was pregnant; he said she would never tell a lie; she lied to protect his name (affair)  Proctor was trying to prove that the Circle girls were pretending, & the Circle girls accused Mary of witchcraft; Mary turned on Proctor and did the same.  The play about Salem witch trials was written at the same time as the Communist Hysteria.

Verbal Irony  Verbal irony is described as the contrast between what is said and what is meant. Most sarcastic comments are verbal irony.

Examples  Spoken by Hale on page 131, “Why, it is all simple. I come to do the Devil’s work. I come to counsel Christians to belie themselves.”  “Nice one, Einstein.”  “ You’re a smart one.”  “ Way to go Sherlock.”

 Another example is on page , when Proctor is starting to break down,” Proctor, laughs insanely, then: A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail now when you know in all your black hearts that this be fraud-God damns our kind especially, and we will burn, we will burn together! Examples (continued)