What is Irony?
Isn’t it ironic?
Definition: a difference between what is
expected to happen and the reality.
Or maybe it’s just bad luck!
What are the kinds of irony?
1. Situational Irony: something happens that we
wouldn’t expect to happen
e.g. a fire station burns down
Situational Irony
Situational Irony in Literature
What are the kinds of irony?
“Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.”
2. Dramatic Irony: the readers know
something the characters do not
- “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Coleridge
They are in the ocean surrounded by water, but
there is nothing to drink.
Dramatic Irony
e.g. the movie Home Alone
(The audience knows Kevin has planted traps for the
thieves, but the thieves don’t)
Dramatic Irony in Literature
- More common in dramas.
- In King Lear, Cordelia is revealed to be the
most loyal daughter, but King Lear does not
know this.
- “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry
What are the kinds of irony?
Verbal Irony
3. Verbal Irony - what is said is different from
what is meant
e.g. “Break a leg” really means, “Good luck!”
Verbal Irony in Literature
Some examples:
”But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.”
Jorge breaks a date with bae to go to a ball game.
Then, when he’s standing in line to get popcorn,
he sees bae there with another guy.
- Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Marc Antony is saying Brutus is not honorable.
What kind of irony?
Situational Irony
What kind
of irony?
Jorge didn’t expect to see bae there with
somebody else.
Some examples:
Situational Irony
You don’t expect a fitness center to use an
escalator because it’s not very fit
You’re watching a horror movie and you know
the bad guy is hiding in the closet, but the
scared group of kids don’t know and they open
the closet door!
What kind of irony?
Some examples:
Dramatic Irony
You and a friend get caught in a massive
hailstorm. They turn to you and say, “What
lovely weather we’re having.”
We as an audience know something
What kind of irony?
the characters do not
Verbal Irony
Your friend is saying the weather is nice but really
she means it’s pretty crappy out.
What kind
of irony?
Some examples:
Situational Irony
He’s calling people out, but
he’s the one who spelled “morons” wrong.
Your homecoming date shows up for the
dance in sweats and a stained tank top.
And you look at them and say, “So. I see you
dressed up for the occasion.”
What kind of irony?
Some examples:
Verbal Irony
You’re saying they dressed up and look nice,
but actually you’re just throwing shade.
You’re watching Ellen and she told the audience
that she’s about to bring out Nicki Minaj to
surprise Taylor Swift (the guest on Ellen’s show),
but Taylor doesn’t know.
And Ellen gets Taylor to talk about how long it’s
been since she and Nicki have seen each other.
What kind of irony?
Dramatic Irony
What kind
of irony?
The audience knows Nicki is coming to surprise
Taylor, but Taylor doesn’t know, even though she’s
talking about Nicki at the time.
And now… Irony With Alanis Morisette
Situational Irony
The warning about childhood obesity is right
next to the McDonald’s sign