In simplest terms, irony occurs in literature AND in life whenever a person says something or does something that departs from what they (or we) expect them to say or do.
The definition of irony as a literary device is a situation in which there is a contrast between expectation and reality. For example, the difference between what something appears to mean versus its literal meaning.
The five main types of irony are verbal, dramatic, situational, cosmic and Socratic.
Irony is a literary technique that storytellers use to contrast expectations and reality. There are primarily three types of irony: dramatic, situational, and verbal.
: the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning. : a usually humorous or sardonic literary style or form characterized by irony. : an ironic expression or utterance.
Today, we're diving into four of the main types of irony in literature: situational irony, verbal irony, dramatic irony, and Socratic irony.
Verbal irony is a figure of speech that communicates the opposite of what is said, while sarcasm is a form of irony that is directed at a person, with the intent to criticise.
As defined, Irony is the use of words to convey a meaning that is opposite of what is actually said. In this situation, the driver was mad and irritated at what happened. But instead of directly expressing his anger, the driver used Irony i.e. thanking the officer for getting his license.
J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series features many examples of situational irony. Voldemort dies after attacking baby Harry, believing it will secure his immortality; later, Harry's nemesis, Professor Snape, turns out to be his protector.
Irony is often confused with sarcasm. While the two are similar, in sarcasm there is a stronger intent to ridicule or mock, often harshly or crudely.
Irony is a type of figurative language that refers to the clash between expectations and reality. Writers use this literary device as a powerful tool to draw readers in and keep them entertained. For example, it's ironic when a police station gets robbed.
A child runs away from someone throwing a water balloon at him and falls into the pool. This is ironic because the child ends up wetter than he would have been, thwarting his expectations of what would happen when he ran away from the water balloon. The cobbler's children have no shoes.
Irony takes place when there is an incongruity between appearance and reality. It is a literary device that can be used to portray illusion with the intent of ridicule and a hit of laughableness. Irony is when something is said or done opposite of its literal meaning.
In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, we—the audience—know that Juliet is not in fact dead at the end, only drugged to appear in a deep, death-like sleep. But Romeo doesn't know that, so he kills himself. His suicide is terribly ironic because Juliet is, in fact, alive and he killed himself for nothing.
Irony is a form of figurative language in which the literal meaning of a sentence is the opposite of the meaning the speaker wishes to convey. Successful comprehension of the ironic meaning relies on an understanding of the speaker's mental state, an ability often referred to as mentalizing.
Verbal irony is a figure of speech in which the literal meaning of what someone is saying is different from what they really mean. For example, someone saying “Just what I needed”, after spilling coffee on their shirt on the way to an important meeting.
The term irony has its roots in the Greek comic character Eiron, a clever underdog who by his wit repeatedly triumphs over the boastful character Alazon. The Socratic irony of the Platonic dialogues derives from this comic origin.
Irony describes situations that are strange or funny because things happen in a way that seems to be the opposite of what you expected.
dramatic irony, a literary device by which the audience's or reader's understanding of events or individuals in a work surpasses that of its characters.
If you're watching a movie about the Titanic and a character leaning on the balcony right before the ship hits the iceberg says, "It's so beautiful I could just die," that's an example of dramatic irony. Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something that the characters don't.
In general, irony refers to a clash between expectations and outcomes. Typically, the outcome is the opposite of what someone wanted or hoped for. It's ironic, for example, when your boss calls you into her office, and you're expecting a promotion, but you instead find out you've been fired.