Dramatic Irony By: Callie Clark

We Know………… Characters Don’t Dramatic Irony: when the audience understands the meaning of the situation because they know more information but the characters do not, which builds Irony.

What Dramatic Irony is not…. 1.Dramatic irony is NOT just a dramatic event in a work of literature. 2.It is NOT just a very dramatic form of irony. 3.Dramatic Irony is NOT just an event where the audience wishes that the character would not do an action. 4.Dramatic irony is not situational irony, it does not come from what you expect to happen not occuring. The irony occurs from the difference of meaning, between the you and the characters, in a situation.

As You Like It Orland and Rosalind both fled to the forest and neither knew the other was dwelling there. They both are missing each other dearly and do not know they are miles from each other. This is dramatic irony, because we as the reader know they are close and could be together but they are completely oblivious.

The Giver As the reader we are aware that Jonas is experiencing his first glimpse of color. On the other hand, Jonas is very confused.

The Outsiders Ponyboy, who is telling us the story, believes Darry does not love him but as the reader we see past this and know Darry does. Darry loves Ponyboy so much he gets too angry when Pony does stupid things. So one time Darry is so overcome with protectiveness and love he slaps him and Ponyboy takes this as hate. Ironically Ponyboy runs away and gets himself into a situation, that was even worse than what Darry was punishing Ponyboy for being involved in.

Fahrenheit 451 Also as the reader we may notice foreshadowing that the character does not notice. If we see the foreshadowing we may experience dramatic irony. For example, in Fahrenheit 451 many hints are dropped before they go and burn Montag’s house, if we picked up on these hints we would experience dramatic irony.

Pop Culture Example…. Snow White, when the old lady is actually the Queen and the apple is poisoned. The “Old Lady” claims that the apple will grant Snow White a wish if she takes a bite. But in reality, which the audience knows about, the apple is poisoned. So we are hoping she doesn’t and we know this apple will harm her, but to Snow White this is just another visitor.

Why it Matters: We should understand this literary term because it builds suspense and is a good tool to use in a story. Also it is useful to be able to recognize it so you are able to know when the author is trying to build suspense or an ironic situation. For example: Beginning of show, NCIS, shows murder and murderer Throughout investigation we see guilty proven innocent or believed to be victims Whole purpose of the first scene is to build suspense using dramatic irony.

At the beginning of a show, like NCIS, when the first scene shows the murder. Then we watch the investigation and you know who the murder is but you have to watch them get proved innocent or not suspected. The whole purpose of this is to create suspense by using dramatic irony

Homework Write down one example of dramatic Irony you experience on television, a movie or in a book. Then explain why this is dramatic Irony Tell me what source the scene you describe is from. In Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter," when Hester is in the governor's garden to see to it that Pearl is not taken away from her, she asks the Reverend Dimmesdale to support her position. This is an example of dramatic irony as the reader knows that Dimmesdale and Hester are partners in sin, but the characters do not. You may NOT use my examples!!!!!!