Irony is an expression of meaning using language that normally signifies the opposite; often used for humorous or sarcastic effect. In a nutshell, irony is the difference between appearance and reality. It comes in 3 forms.

Situational irony is irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended, so the outcome is contrary to what was expected. Example: A deep sea diver drowning in a bathtub would be an example of situational irony. Why?

Verbal irony is irony in which a person says or writes one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning. Example: If one of your friends told you they had 10 hours of homework to do this weekend, and you responded with, “how great!”, that’d be using verbal irony. Why?

Dramatic irony occurs when we, the readers, know something that the characters do not yet know, or when we understand something differently than the characters do. Example: In the movie, “Shrek”, we know that Princess Fiona is an ogre, while Shrek, himself, doesn’t find out until much later in the story.