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Irony
This Page Includes...
What Is Irony? (with Examples)
Irony is when the reality of something is different to the expectation it generates. There are three types of irony:
- Verbal Irony. Verbal irony is an expression (often delivered sarcastically or humorously) to express the opposite of its literal meaning. (It is a synonym for sarcasm.)
- Dramatic Irony. Dramatic irony is an event the significance of which is known only to observers (typically, the audience) and not the participants (typically, the actors).
- Situational Irony. Situational irony is an event that occurs seemingly in mockery of the circumstances.
Easy Examples of Irony
Here are some easy examples of the three different types of irony:Verbal Irony:
- That's just what I needed. (i.e., It isn't.)
- I'm so glad it's raining. (i.e., I'm not.)
- There's no evil witch here. (A typical "behind you" moment in a pantomime is an example of dramatic irony.)
- Let's examine the words hyphenated and non-hyphenated.
- The most shoplifted book in America is the Bible.
- Your the best English teacher ever. (Should be you're.)
Yet More Examples of Irony...
Here are some more examples of irony:Example of Verbal Irony
Verbal irony is like sarcasm.- "On a scale of 1 to 10, how old was Michael Jackson's boyfriend?"
"Nice."
(Here, "nice" means not classy.)
Example of Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something the characters don't.- O my love, my wife! Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath hath had no power yet upon thy beauty. Thou art not conquered. Beauty’s ensign yet is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks. (Romeo Montague from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet) (Romeo wrongly believes Juliet is dead and prepares to take poison to join her.)
Examples of Situational Irony
Situational irony is an event that happens in mockery of the circumstances.- James Bellamy, who has campaigned for years against the Dangerous Dogs Act, was hospitalized after a vicious attack by his brother's dog.
- Mr Paul Jones arrived too late to chair a town-planning meeting due to the roads being grid locked with traffic.
Remember that irony covers far more than just situational irony. Comments and events with a twist, an element of unexpectedness, or some malintent can usually be shoe-horned into one of the irony types. It is not uncommon for people to argue whether something is an example of irony.
- The term "irony" covers far more than just situational irony.
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