IRONY 1 Define irony verbal irony situational irony

IRONY 1 • • Define irony, verbal irony, situational irony, and dramatic irony Understand the effects of irony

Irony • Irony is expressing one’s meaning by using language that normally means the opposite • Irony can serve several purposes: • To be humorous • To criticize • To emphasize

Irony • Irony is often identified by seeing a disconnect • Between the meaning of the words and the speaker’s true meaning (verbal irony) • Between the expectations of a situation and the reality of a situation (situational irony) • Between the audience’s knowledge and the character’s knowledge (dramatic irony)

Situational Irony • When something happens and a reversal of expectations occurs

Situational Irony: Michael Scott • This situation is ironic because, if you know anything about the TV show The Office, you know that Michael Scott isn’t exactly known for being the best boss. • Seeing him with a “world’s best boss” mug is the opposite of what you’d expect

Verbal Irony • When a speaker says one thing but means another • This often includes sarcasm

Verbal Irony • This picture represents verbal irony because the man is clearly saying the opposite of what he means • It’s clearly not true that “nobody has ever gone to work, the gym, and made dinner in one day” • This line is ironic and sarcastic

Dramatic Irony • When the audience understands something that a character does not in a story In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the audience knows that Juliet is merely asleep, while the character Romeo believes that she is dead. When he kills himself, the audience might wish they could yell, “She’s not actually dead!”

Dramatic Irony: Scar and Simba • This scene in The Lion King is an example of dramatic irony because Scar is telling Simba to “stay put”, all the while knowing that there’s a stampede coming that will likely kill Simba. Poor little fella doesn’t know what’s coming.

Irony: the effects • Irony can draw attention to a main theme or idea (the reader stops and thinks twice about the idea, thus spending more time with it) • Irony can bring comic relief, heighten tragedy, or shift the tone in other ways • Irony can help send a strong message (sometimes an indirect message is more powerful than a direct one) • Irony can build rapport or understanding between the writer and audience