Coming to you when you least expect it…. Irony Coming to you when you least expect it….

Irony is…the unexpected. There are three types of Irony. Verbal Dramatic Situational

Verbal Irony Occurs when what is said is the opposite of what is meant. Example: Early mornings, my mom would say to my crabby self, “Good morning, Sunshine.” Sarcasm can be a form of verbal irony.

Dramatic Irony Occurs when the reader knows what is going to happen, but the character does not. Sometimes we are placed in the position of knowing more than what one character knows. Turn to your neighbor and discuss which books, movies, or television shows have dramatic irony. Remember, you have to KNOW it, NOT guess it.

Situational Irony Occurs when both the reader and characters are surprised by what happens or does not happen. Throughout most of the Harry Potter novels, the audience believes that Harry can kill Voldemort. However, the audience is thrown off guard near the end of this series when it becomes clear that Harry must allow the evil lord to kill him, so that Voldemort’s soul could become mortal once again. Harry allows himself to be killed in order to defeat Voldemort, which is exactly the opposite of the audience’s expectations.

Examples “This is an example of _________ irony because…” While looking up at the basketball players knees, you say, “How about an autograph, Shorty?” We see the murderous clown creeping around outside of the house, yet the little blonde actress heads to the porch alone to call her BFF. When he tries to attack, the clown is mauled, as she is skilled in Karate.

“This is an example of _________ irony because…” At Michael Jackson’s funeral, everyone’s mourning is interrupted as he jumps out of his casket and moonwalks down the isle. Three-quarters of the way through a novel, we learn that the character is not really dying of cancer as we all thought, he just has diabetes.