U3A4 Incidents of Dramatic Irony Assessment
Submit to DROPBOX by DUE DATE
Expectations:
2.3 communicate in a clear, coherent manner, using a structure and style effective for the purpose, subject matter, and
intended audience;
2.4 use the most appropriate words, phrases, and terminology, and a variety of stylistic devices, to communicate their meaning
in a compelling way and to engage their intended audience;
1.2 select and use, with increasing facility, the most appropriate reading comprehension strategies to understand texts,
including complex and challenging texts;
1.4 make and explain inferences of increasing subtlety and insight about texts, including complex and challenging texts,
supporting their explanations with well-chosen stated and implied ideas from the texts
1.6 analyse texts in terms of the information, ideas, issues, or themes they explore, examining how various aspects of the texts
contribute to the presentation or development of these elements;
2.2 identify a variety of text features and demonstrate insight into the way they communicate meaning;
1.2 generate, expand, explore, and focus ideas for potential writing tasks, using a variety of strategies and print, electronic, and
other resources, as appropriate;
1.3 locate and select information to fully and effectively support ideas for writing, using a variety of strategies and print,
electronic, and other resources, as appropriate;
Assignment U3A4
Remember that dramatic irony invites the audience to interact with the characters. It is meant to stir
emotion and call to action.
Part A: Chart
Using the Chart OR another model of your choosing (Prezi, Mindmap etc), choose and describe three
examples of dramatic irony from Acts I & II, list the characters involved (choose 2), decide how you feel
about the situation (which character(s) do you sympathize with, or feel repulsed by/angry with), explain
why you feel that way, and cite evidence (quotations) with explanation of how the effect is created.
This chart will serve as an outline for Part B. (See end of this document for Chart Template)
Example
Example of
dramatic irony
Sally is enjoying the
beach and doesn’t
see the monster
grabbing Billy, and
then she can’t find
him.
Characters
involved
Sally
Emotional
Reaction
I feel
frustrated
by Sally
Billy
Scared for
Billy
Reason for your feelings
Evidence
Sally is frustrating because she isn’t
paying attention. If she just looked at
Billy while she was talking to him, he
would be safe. Billy is listening to Sally
and not watching behind him.
I feel scared because I can see the
monster coming closer but Billy is
oblivious.
Sally notes “Billy you
sure are quiet”
(citation), but continues
to talk without checking
if he is okay.
Billy “lags behind Sally
struggling to hear her
story” (citation)
Part B: Choose ONE option for Critical Analysis
You will now choose one of the three examples in your chart to discuss in more detail by completing a
critical analysis paper or artifact. See the resources below to help you understand critical analysis.
Briefly:

Give a brief description of the scene and make a thesis (i.e. make a statement about the theme
having to do with how and why the audience is manipulated by the example).
Examine how the devices and examples work to prove your thesis
Discuss the effect of the manipulation on character, story, theme etc.
Summary statement



Options:


Write a short essay critical analysis OR
Use another tool to present your critical analysis (Prezi, CamStudio, Animoto, Bitstips, Jing, Wall
Wisher, Linoit, etc.). It could be a podcast, slide presentation, comic, pin board etc.
Critical Analysis in more detail...
WRITING THE CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The following format for writing a Critical Analysis constitutes an excellent initiation to the literary essay.
These steps teach you to write, and think ‘up’ the Taxonomy. These are the preliminaries to the literary
essay.
DESCRIPTION: Give a brief description of the scene (comprehension, interpretation). This paragraph also
includes a thesis statement from which this short essay flows
ANALYSIS: In composing the analysis you are ‘writing to learn’ as you examine how the devices work in the
literature. As you go through an analysis, select only those details on which the effect of the selection most
obviously depends. (Whether or not the author ‘meant’ to use the elements in the way they did is a moot
point.) Analyzing the creative product and how it works. (application, analysis).
INTERPRETATION: Use all the knowledge gained from reading and analyzing the scene and put it together
into a short discussion of the overall effects. Some questions to examine may be: What is the purpose of the
scene? How does it develop character, conflict or theme? What are the explicit and implicit messages? What
is its effect on its audience’s sympathies? (interpretation, analysis, synthesis)
JUDGEMENT This is a summative statement about the learning / insight / understanding gained through
the analysis of the scene. What have you learned through studying it – about the play, about the theme,
about the craft of the genre in general, about the manipulation of the elements of drama? What can you
carry away from this work as a student of literature? (judgement, synthesis)
Check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jvy0mh0el4s&list=PL38E7DE2B9224FE32&index=1
Note how the narrator investigates specific quotations from the movie and explains why he feels a
certain way about them and why. I am not asking you to explain how and why the words in Hamlet
make you feel a certain way. This is an example of a “close reading”.
http://www.uq.edu.au/student-services/examples-critical-analysis
http://depts.washington.edu/pswrite/Handouts/CriticalAnalysisPapers.pdf
Dramatic Irony Rubric: Critical Analysis
Thinking/Inquiry
Does the following
with limited
effectiveness:
Generates, gathers,
and organizes ideas
and information;
develops and
explains
interpretations of
texts; identifies ways
in which instances in
the text manipulate
sympathies and
develop the
audience’s
understanding.
Level 2
(60-69%)
Demonstrates
developing
understanding of
events in Hamlet, as
well as text features
and stylistic
elements, and
somewhat
understands how
they work to create
meaning (ex.
character, content,
theme, etc.).
Does the following
with some
effectiveness:
Generates, gathers,
and organizes ideas
and information;
develops and
explains
interpretations of
texts; identifies ways
in which instances in
the text manipulate
sympathies and
develop the
audience’s
understanding.
Communication
Work contains an
insufficient
description, analysis,
interpretation, and
judgment of the
chosen scene.
Content is
insufficiently clear
and logical.
Applies language
conventions,
including proper
spelling, punctuation,
grammar, sentence
structure, with
limited effectiveness.
Work contains a
satisfactory
description, analysis,
interpretation, and
judgment of the
chosen scene.
Content is presented
in a satisfactorily
clear and logical way.
Applies language
conventions,
including proper
spelling, punctuation,
grammar, sentence
structure, with some
effectiveness.
Knowledge
Application
Level 1
(50-59%)
Demonstrates limited
understanding of
events in Hamlet, as
well as text features
and stylistic
elements, and does
not clearly
understand how they
work to create
meaning (ex.
character, content,
theme, etc.).
Level 3
(70-79%)
Demonstrates
considerable
understanding of
events in Hamlet,
as well as text
features and
stylistic elements,
and understands
how they work to
create meaning (ex.
character, content,
theme, etc.).
Level 4
(80-100%)
Demonstrates
thorough
understanding of
events in Hamlet, as
well as text features
and stylistic
elements, and clearly
understands how
they work to create
meaning (ex.
character, content,
theme, etc.).
Does the following
with considerable
effectiveness:
Generates, gathers,
and organizes ideas
and information;
develops and
explains
interpretations of
texts; identifies
ways in which
instances in the
text manipulate
sympathies and
develop the
audience’s
understanding.
Work contains a
good description,
analysis,
interpretation, and
judgment of the
chosen scene.
Content is
presented in a clear
and logical way.
Applies language
conventions,
including proper
spelling,
punctuation,
grammar, sentence
structure, with
considerable
effectiveness.
Does the following
with a high degree of
effectiveness:
Generates, gathers,
and organizes ideas
and information;
develops and
explains
interpretations of
texts; identifies ways
in which instances in
the text manipulate
sympathies and
develop the
audience’s
understanding.
Work contains a
thorough
description, analysis,
interpretation, and
judgment of the
chosen scene.
Content is presented
in an innovate, clear
and logical way.
Effectively applies
language
conventions,
including proper
spelling,
punctuation,
grammar, sentence
structure.
Chart Outlining Incidents of Dramatic Irony Template
Example of
Dramatic Irony
from Acts I & II
Characters
Involved
Sympathy?
Antipathy?
Reason your
sympathies lean
as they do
Evidence – Lines and
Explanation of Effect