Irony: Verbal, Situational, and Dramatic

What are the effects of irony? Humor – irony creates a private joke that creates a sense of complicity between author and reader.   Irony in literature is intended to provoke the reader into thinking harder and analyzing a situation.

What are the effects of verbal irony? Humor Help readers gain insight into character personalities or motives Ex. A character who is frequently sarcastic or dishonest might not be trustworthy. Can be used by one character to condemn or draw out the flaws of another Ex. In the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar, Marc Antony gives a speech repeatedly calling Brutus an “honorable man” even though Brutus has just committed murder

What are the effects of situational irony? Situational irony can make a plot twist more interesting, draw attention to a reader's unwarranted biases, or show how a character handles an unexpected situation.

What are the effects of dramatic irony? Dramatic irony can create suspense or tension for the audience.

Exit Ticket Write one example each for verbal, situational, or dramatic irony. It can be from a book, movie, real life, etc. or just something you make up, but it can’t be one of the examples used in class.

Paradox Definition: a statement or group of statements that leads to a contradiction or a situation which (if true) defies logic or reason For simplicity, think of it as more or less a play on words Examples: “I can resist anything but temptation.” – Oscar Wilde Your friend saying to you “I’m lying.” “I must be cruel to be kind.” – Shakespeare Interviewing for her first job, Sam is told he doesn’t have enough experience for the position, but without the position he cannot gain the experience

Effects of Paradox Makes you stop and think! When you read something that doesn’t make logical sense at first, you have to stop and think about it. Paradox is often used to draw attention to and convey major themes Can be used for humor or to point out latent truths Ex. – In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, one part of the society’s cardinal rule is the statement, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” Orwell’s book is a criticism of the Communist revolution. He is pointing out the latent truth that there is no such thing as an “equal” society r

Difference between Irony and Paradox A paradox is a statement that is self-contradictory Irony doesn’t have to be a single statement, and irony doesn’t have to be contradictory Both can be humorous.