Irony Essays & Research Papers

Both “The Necklace” and “The Gift of the Magi” have plots that depend in large measure on the use of situational irony to create a surprise ending. “The Necklace” tells the story of Madame Mathilde Loise, a lowly clerk’s wife, who, in an effort to appear more debonaire than she is, borrows expensive jewels from Madame Jeanne Forestier, a wealthy friend. After the inevitable loss of the jewels, Madame Loisel and her husband secretly replace the jewels. Years later, Madame Loise, now...

JORDAN ALLEN| IRONY IN MACBETH There are many types of irony used in Macbeth.. Without the irony, the tragedy would not be quite so tragic. Verbal, dramatic, and situational irony was used in the story of Macbeth. One type of irony used in Macbeth is verbal irony. This is when a character says one thing and means the opposite. Examples of this are when Macbeth says to Banquo, “Tonight we hold a solemn supper, sir, And I’ll request your presence” or when he says “Fail not our feast". Verbal...

Assignment 1. Were you surprised by the ending of the story? If not, at what point did you know what was going to happen? How does Jackson start to foreshadow the ending in paragraphs 2 and 3? Conversely, how does Jackson lull us into thinking that this is just an ordinary story with an ordinary town? A: No, I wasn’t because it’s a lottery. I wouldn’t be surprised on what happens in a lottery. That there was going to be very immature acting in the story. That there was going to be some...

Irony is the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. It is used throughout poetry and allows the reader to analyze and differentiate what seems, and what actually is. There are different types of irony including verbal, situational, and dramatic. Irony can be used in the titles of poems, or in themes and messages throughout them. There are many ways to interpret poetry, so irony is a powerful way of making a pointed comment or manipulating a reader's emotions. Verbal...

Ashley Solomon Nov. 7 2012 Enc 1102 The Irony In "The Necklace", by Guy De Maupassant As I worked on my pervious paper, I questioned myself if there was a literary term and if there was which one over powered the story. As I began research for this essay and typed in "The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant" in the Google toolbar, I saw the word irony and quickly came up with the question as to, where is the irony in the story "The Necklace"? To my surprise, this story surrounds itself with...

Heather Brown Professor Evermind English 1302 2 March 2012 The Irony in Trifles The play Trifles written by Susan Glaspell is set in the nineteenth century. A trifle is a thing of little value or importance, so in the play Trifles the irony of the story is quite humorous. In this time period women were not treated as equals, men believed women did not have as much intellect as themselves, and treated them accordingly. With this in mind the irony of the play revolves around how much better...

Irony In Hamlet One of the most useful motifs in Shakespeare’s Hamlet is the use of irony. Harry Levin’s “Irony in Hamlet” explains that ironic commentary is a technique that reinforces the poetic justice of the work. Our first impression of Hamlet is derived at the gathering in the courtyard, dressed in black for his deceased father. He has a melancholic demeanor about him and he is kept to himself. His first words say that Claudius is "A little more than kin and less than...

Jon Odle Jeanne Urie English 2413 10 July 2011 The Significance of Irony Irony is a rhetorical device used to illustrate a discordant situation or verbalization in which the outcome is opposite of what was expected. As a result, this writing technique often introduces humor into the storyline, depending on the tone of the story. This element of indirectness is partly what makes poetry so interesting. Poetry’s lack of simplicity forces the reader to think independently, therefore creating...

"The Wall": Situational Irony Conan Tsui English 12 December 6 2012 In the short story "The Wall" written by Jean-Paul Satre, the situational irony reveals that loyalty and bravery are difficult to comprehend, especially during wartime. Though Pablo's loyalty towards his cause and to Ramon were pure. Pablo decides not to give up Ramon, even though the information might save himself from being executed. After days of psychological torture, Pablo is broken down and accepts that he will...

Name: _______________________ Page 1 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas: Comprehension Questions Chapters 1&2 1. Why doesn’t Bruno understand the nature of his father’s job (What his father really does for a living)? ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 2. How does Bruno’s mother feel about leaving the house in Berlin?...

 The Use of Irony in “The Cask of Amontillado” In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” Poe uses various types of irony to develop his theme of revenge as tool of justice. Poe’s use of irony deals the audience a vast knowledge of the story’s conclusion, and gives the narrative a dark humor that was signature of his work. In this story of an unreliable narrator in the first-person point of view, the dark humor and irony makes this tale of cold-blooded murder interesting and entertaining...

Irony in The Crucible Irony is a contrast between what is stated and what is meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually happens. The Crucible is a play by the American playwright Arthur Miller, and is filled with examples of irony throughout the play to build suspense and create anxiety. Arthur Miller used three kinds of irony, and they are dramatic, situational, and verbal irony. The Crucible is filled with many examples for each kind of irony through the play. The...

Verbal Irony Verbal irony is perhaps the most commonly used type of irony in everyday life. It is more commonly called “sarcasm”. Verbal irony can be found in everyday life and also in literary. Verbal irony is when a person says or writes one thing and means another, or uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of the literal meaning. A couple of examples are: soft like concrete and as pleasant as a root canal. The irony in these can quickly be discovered as concrete is...

Irony Essay In the timeless tragedy Oedipus the King, Sophocles implements masterful irony in the forms of dramatic, verbal, and situational ironies, which are essential contributions to the theme of the limitations of a man’s potential caused by fate. The dramatic end of Oedipus raised a crucial question of the extent of a man’s impact on society in the minds of the Chorus, “Luckless Oedipus, whom of all men I envy not at all” (1378). The reason that this question is elevated into the minds of...

Erick Macedo Mrs. O’Kane English III (4) October 21, 2013 Irony and Symbolism Combined Poetry and short stories are a different type of literature yet they share similar elements that are portrayed in both. Most commonly they are setting, conflict, theme and tone. The Unknown Citizen, written by W.H Auden, is a poem that will be compared with the lottery, written by Shirley Jackson. Both, the short story and poem, share 2 literature devices in common. They exhibit Irony and symbolism...

Enticing Irony For thousands of years, writers have been using irony to enrich an audience’s enjoyment and understanding of literature. The use of this literary device has become so common because its consequences have proven to be positive, often making the literary piece more interesting to read. Irony can be defined as a contrast between one’s actions and statements from what one really means. Simply put, it is a means of revealing something indirectly or obliquely. Specifically in plays,...

Irony is a strategy writers use to set contrast between what is supposed to be true and what is reality, just as in verbal irony, an author might say or write one thing and at the same time mean the complete opposite. In the story by Frank R. Stockton "The Lady, or the Tiger?" the author used verbal irony to help us realize the absurdity of the king's idea of judgment and the real intentions and ideas of other characters. Several ironic statements are presented in the story. Sentence fragments...

In "The Guest" Albert Camus uses irony to convey the existential theme of making what you believe to be the moral choice regardless of the consequences. This theme reflects Camus' existential philosophies, stressing free choice and responsibility for one's actions in addition to the inevitability of death. This philosophy plays a major role in the theme and structure of this story, and stresses the individual's unique position as a self determining agent responsible for the authenticity of his...

Often times, authors implement literary techniques to add certain elements in their stories. One way that authors do this is by introducing irony. Irony is an outcome of events that is contrary to what was expected. Many authors may use three different types of irony to get their point across. These types of irony are verbal, dramatic, or situational. They may apply irony to turn a story around and to give it a twist. One author who utilizes this technique is Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury...

Dramatic irony: (Act 3, scene 3, line 135):" I think thou dost; and for I thou 'rt full of love and honesty..." •This is ironic because Othello thinks Iago is a honest man when in reality Iago is scheming against him Foreshadowing Act 3, scene 3, line 100- 103):" Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul..." •This line foreshadows bad events that will happen if Othello falls out of love with Desdemona. Symbol: Handkerchief:symbolizes Desdemona and Othello's bond and marriage and once it...

Emely Estevez Professor Esposito November 6 2014 English 101 There are many types of irony such as basic irony which is the use of word to convey a meaning that is opposite of its literal meaning. Situational irony which is the moment a characters actions have the opposite of their intended effect. Finally there is dramatic irony which occurs when there is a contrast between the readers knowledge and the knowledge of the characters in the work. However situational irony is what mostly...

In Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour”, the narrator portrays issues of love, freedom, and independence on a physical and mental level. This story was written based on the 19th century woman. The time when a woman had minimum rights, and barely had a role in society. Even in a loving relationship, a woman was still unequal to a man; she did not have the freedom she desired. Chopin uses irony, symbolism and reverse theory to express Louise Mallard’s thoughts as she grieved her...

Although they have very different plots with vastly different different characters, a common theme is cleverly intertwined by the authors of the following stories. “The Interlopers,” by Saki narrates a duel between two neighbors, torn apart by their forefather's grudge. “Gimpel the Fool,” by Isaac Bashevis Singer, is told by a man thought of as a fool, and forgives all those who mistreat and abuse him. The play “Pygmalion,” by Bernard Shaw shows the story of a normal flower girl becoming an...

The Lottery Questions 1. Were you surprised by the ending of the story? If not, at what point did you know what was going to happen? How does Jackson start to foreshadow the ending in paragraphs 2 and 3? Conversely, how does Jackson lull us into thinking that this is just an ordinary story with an ordinary town? 2. Where does the story take place? In what way does the setting affect the story? Does it make you more or less likely to anticipate the ending? 3. In what ways are the characters...

Poet's Page Poems Comments Stats Arthur Nortje : Letter from Pretoria Central Prison The bell wakes me at 6 in the pale spring dawn with the familiar rumble of the guts negotiating murky corridors that smell of bodies. My eyes find salutary the insurgent light of distances. Waterdrops rain crystal cold, my wet face in ascent from an iron basin greets its rifled shadow in the doorway. They walk us to the workshop. I am eminent, the blacksmith of the block: these active hours...

“Irony in ‘The Cask of Amontillado.” Irony is expressing what an author is trying to say using language or words saying the opposite. There are three types of irony. Verbal irony is a contrast between what is said and what is actually meant. Situational irony occurs when things turn out contrary to what is expected or intended. Dramatic irony occurs when a reader or viewer knows more about a situation than the characters do. In conclusion “The Cask of Amontillado is full of irony. Examples...

Irony is a form of speech in which the real meaning is concealed or contradicted by the words used. There are three tales that are fantastic demonstrations of irony. “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”, “The Pardoner’s Tale”, and “The Nun Priest’s Tale” are the three. While each one is different, each uses irony to teach its characters a lesson. “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” does not have as much irony in it as the other two tales do. The most major ironical difference is that of the nature of the...

Irony in Pride and Prejudice Irony forms the alma mater of Jane Austen’s novels. Likewise, “Pride and Prejudice” is steeped in irony of theme, situation, character, and narration. Austen uses it to establish the contrast between appearance and reality. As one examines “Pride and Prejudice”, one discovers the ironic significance of how pride leads to prejudice and prejudice invites pride. Importantly, the novel elucidates how both “Pride” and “Prejudice” have their corresponding virtues bound...

Akim Alimi Professor Kathleen S. Paskin English 112 2/23/06 Oedipus Rex: Dramatic Irony Irony is the use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning. The play Oedipus Rex especially uses dramatic irony. It is the theatrical effect achieved by leading an audience or reader to understand the disparity between a situation and the accompanying speeches, while the characters in the play remain unaware of the disparity. From...

Irony of The Cask of Amontillado Many of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories contain a wide variety of irony, motifs, and symbolism. The unity of these elements within many of his tales creates specific moods in and throughout his works. One story in particular, The Cask of Amontillado not only displays Poe’s exquisite attention to detail and mastery of literary unity, but it clearly portrays his expertise in the use of irony within this story. The most evident use of irony is through the...

English 102 Situational irony is when a character’s actions have the opposite of their intended effect. There are clear instances of situational irony found in the short stories, “Prodigal Son”, “The Gift of the Magi”, and “The Yellow Wallpaper”. All of these stories have characters that found themselves in an unexpected circumstance. The biblical story, “Prodigal Son”, is about a father who plans to leave his sons an inheritance after he dies but his younger son asked his father...

Irony is an important literary device in many stories and there are many examples of it in “The Stone Boy” by Gina Berriault, Animal Farm by George Orwell, and The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In all of these works, irony plays an important role in the plot of the story. In “The Stone Boy”, the title of the story is a good example of irony. The title indicates to the reader that Arnold has no feelings and is like a stone. The irony...

Oedipus Rex- Dripping with Irony Sophocles' masterpiece Oedipus has both fascinated and terrified audiences for centuries. The story offers unique insight into the complexities of human nature, of pain and suffering. King Oedipus is fortune's fool, and at the mercy of fate throughout the entire play. It is, however, his own decisions and actions which ultimately cause his demise. With creative use of irony, Sophocles makes apparent how tragic both fate and even free will can be. The entire...

H. P. Lovecraft once said, “From even the greatest of horrors, irony is seldom absent.” In fact, irony is used very often in horror stories. One story that this is particularly overt in is Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”. In “The Cask of Amontillado”, Poe utilizes irony to create dark humor by writing Montressor’s intentions to kill Fortunado at the beginning of the story, and then making light of the whole situation. The first case of irony is that Fortunado was dressed as a...

The Dramatic Irony in Oedipus the King Before taking a closer look on the identity of the protagonist and murderer, and having in mind that Oedipus the King is a very spacious and difficult to analyze play, including opportunities for discussion on quite a few topics, I have chosen to briefly focus on the dramatic irony used by Sophocles to disclose the characters’ identity throughout the play. In general, irony is a very common technique used in every drama work and it is usually used by...

Animal Farm is a classic portrayal of how power can effect the goals and hopes of a society. In this essay, I will explore the irony of Animal Farm, and how it used to satirize communism and dictatorships. The story begins with a revolution, and high hopes for the society being developed by the animals. But slowly, as the leading officials get a taste of power, things begin to change. The Commandments, a code by which all animals on Animal Farm live by, is secretly altered when the pigs...

Lenora Rayford September 14, 2013 6th Edmodo Assignment Ms. Guy Lamb to the Slaughter Lamb to the Slaughter uses the different types of irony. There are three main types: Dramatic, Situational, and Verbal. Dramatic irony is cased when the audience knows something the characters don’t. Situational irony is something no one expects. And Verbal irony is saying something you don’t exactly mean. The first type of irony used is verbal irony. It was used when Mary Maloney stated “Is he dead?”...

Richard III Irony, as defined by Perrine?s Literature, is ?a situation or a use of language involving some kind of incongruity or discrepancy? (1709). Irony can be broken down to three types; verbal, dramatic, and situational. In Shakespeare?s Richard III, all types of irony are found throughout the play. Irony can be humorous, sarcastic, and sometimes quite complicated as it is used to ?convey a truth about human experience by exposing some incongruity of a character?s behavior or a society?s...

Many tales are told in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Probably the greatest on is "The Pardoner's Tale". A greedy Pardoner who preaches to feed his own desires tells "The Pardoner's Tale". This story contains excellent examples of verbal, situational, and dramatic irony. Verbal irony occurs when a writer or speaker says one thing but really means something quite different. One example of this type of irony is found in lines 216-217: " ‘Trust me,' the other said, ‘you needn't doubt my...

Elements of Irony in Native Son Native Son paints a disturbing, harsh picture of life within the "Black Belt" of Chicago in the 1940s. Wright uses irony; sometimes subtly and at other times obviously to shape the view of the reader and as a foreshadowing mechanism. From our initial scene to Bigger's death, the technique of irony employed by Wright is effective, and devastating. Our initial symbol which foreshadows the fate of our protagonist is the "huge black rat" (5). The rat represents the...

Suzanna Hanafy 3/3/13 Honors English 9 Irony in Gordimer’s two stories Gordimer used irony in both stories “The Moment Before the Gun Went Off” and “Once Upon a Time”. Irony played an essential role in these short stories and coincidentally, they both ended with a similar conclusion, the death of a family member. Moreover, both stories revealed Gordimer’s visions of post-apartheid. Sadly, due to Gordimer's description of South African apartheid, the South African government censored her...

Jonathon Archambault English 1102, 12:30, TR September 3, 2009 Essay #2 –Fiction Irony in “A Cask of Amontillado” Verbal irony has a meaning (often contradictory) concealed behind the apparent meaning of a word or phrase in order to get a point across; whereas situation irony is often coincidental and contradictory to the situation at hand in an improbable way. Throughout the story “A Cask of Amontillado”, Edger Allen Poe uses verbal and situational irony to add a touch of macabre humor,...

Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales” is a collection of stories told by fictional characters who are on a journey. “The Pardoner’s Tale” is told by a pardoner traveling with the group. He pretends to be a devout man intent on the salvation of others. However, he admits outright that he is an extremely greedy man and is only in it for wealth. In the story the pardoner tells, irony is heavily used. Verbal irony, situational irony, and dramatic irony are all used by Chaucer to enhance the...

ROLE OF IRONIES IN OEDIPUS REX Oedipus Rex is one of the best tragedies. According to Aristotle, a tragedy must be an imitation of life in the form of a serious story that is complete in itself; in other words, the story must be realistic and narrow in focus. A good tragedy will evoke pity and fear in its viewers. Irony: Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. In Oedipus Rex, ironies play a...

The Irony in Killing an Elepant “Shooting an Elephant”, an essay written by George Orwell in the fall of 1936, is about one single event that changes Orwell, and weighs on his conscience for some years after the incident. Orwell spent a few years in Burma as an officer on the Imperial Police Force, during a time when the British are trying to implement their ways of governing, through brutal force, on the Burmese. Throughout his essay, Orwell uses situational irony and other techniques to...

Irony is a useful device for giving stories many unexpected twists and turns. In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," irony is used as an effective literary device. Situational irony is used to show the reader that what is expected to happen sometimes doesn't. Dramatic irony is used to clue the reader in on something that is happening that the characters in the story do not know about. Irony is used throughout Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" through the use of situational irony and the use of...

Chase Tidmore Intro To Lit Analyst Ms. Sheperis 10/20/11 Irony Within “The Gift of the Magi” “Irony is a disciplinarian feared only by those who do not know it, but cherished by those who do”, Soren Kierkegaard knew what he was talking about when he said these famous words. “The Gift of the Magi”, written by William Sidney Porter, often known by his pen name O. Henry. It is a short story depicting literary elements of irony, romance, and Porter's sense of twist endings, and is all about a...

Irony Situational Irony The exact opposite of what you expect to happen examples: Cat chases dog Olympic swimmer drowns Fire at the firefighters station Verbal Irony When the speaker says the opposite of what he or she means (aka sarcasm) examples: when its raining outside your friends says what lovely weather is occuring when you make a mistake and your friend says nice job Dramatic Irony You are in a secret that the rest of the characters dont know examples: In t.v. shows...

Irony in Markus Zusak’s The Messenger ABSTRACT This research paper, entitled Irony in Makus Zusak’s The Messenger, is a textual analysis of The Messenger focusing in a study of irony. The analysis is aimed to find out the types of irony employed in the novel and to reveal the meaning of the types of irony. This research is framed by theory of irony proposed by Littel (2002) which he categorizes irony into three types: verbal irony, situational irony, and dramatic irony. Based on the...

Irony and Symbolism in “The Cask of Amontillado” In the short story "The Cask of Amontillado," Edgar Allan Poe writes in first person point of view, from the perspective of Montresor, the narrator of this tale, who seeks revenge against Fortunato. Montresor began to develop the perfect plan for revenge. During the carnival season, Montresor meet with Fortunato and decides to implement his plan carefully not to arouse Fortunato's suspicions through irony. Poe's story describes the inner workings...

Irony in the Story of an Hour “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin is filled with Irony. Irony, in this story, is defined by something other than the expected happening. From the beginning, things are not what they seem. The author makes the reader believe that the main character will react in one way, but to our surprise something different happens. She creates, in our minds, an idea that there will be sorrow and mourning over death. After reading the first paragraph I thought the main...

ETHAN FROME KEYHOLE ESSAY The novel Ethan From by Edith Wharton tells the story of Ethan From and the tragedy he faces in his life. The story mainly focuses on the relationships between and among Ethan, his wife, and his wife’s cousin, with whom he is in love. Wharton uses different literary devices to develop the plot, including irony as one of the most effective. The use of irony in the novel, especially in the climatic sledding scene, greatly adds to the development of the...

What is irony? Irony is the mismatch between the actual results versus the expected results. In literature, irony is a device that causes surprise and amusement for the audience also a helper to the author to make their writing more fluid. Types of irony in stories are dramatic, situational and verbal. In the short stories “The Censors” by Luisa Valenzuela, “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant and “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl, there is situational and dramatic irony. The ironies affect...

Irony Irony is the use of words to express something different and often opposite to its literal meaning and it is a device that plays a major role in revealing the theme of a literary work. In Inferno, written by Niven and Pournelle, the main character, Allan Carpentier, travels into the depths of hell and finally escapes when he realizes who he is. Throughout his journey, the other people in hell do not want to accept that they are there, which in turn, is the reason they cannot leave hell....

Jordan Lopez 09/23/2012 AP English 12 – Rayl Throughout “Oedipus Rex”, Sophacles constantly fills the play with irony of all kinds, whether it is dramatic, situational, or verbal. He almost seems to enjoy exploiting Oedipus’ ignorance of the murder he committed and the prophecy he fulfilled, especially in the beginning of the play before he begins to realize the truth in his actions. This play is a great example of the usage of irony to create an entertaining plot. Dramatic irony is mostly...

ENGL 1302-021 2 March 2014 Irony in Kate Chopin's "The Storm" and "Désirée's Baby" Kate Chopin's stories characteristically end or contain an ironic twist. Chopin uses irony to create excitement and suspense and to also provide a deeper meaning to her story. Irony can create different parallels to a story that would otherwise be one dimensional. Kate Chopin uses irony in "The Storm" and "Désirée's Baby" effectively creating beautiful and complex stories. "The Storm" contains both...

Irony in “The Story of an Hour” Irony allows the author to engage and surprise the reader, which often also teaches an important lesson. The definition of irony is “using words to imply the opposite of what they are normally mean.” The reader can observe many instances of irony from “The Story of an Hour.” In the short story, Louise Mallard’s weak heart undergoes big transformations within a very short time by three different types of irony: situational irony, verbal irony, and dramatic irony....

Colossians 1:16 "For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by God and for God." REGISTRATION PROCEDURE (For New Student) Submitted by admin on Sun, 01/08/2012 - 20:37 Requirements to be submitted in the Office of the Registrar: (Enrollees with incomplete requirements will not be encoded) 1. Original High School card (Form 138) ( For Transferee: Original...

Johnny Nguyen Period 5 5/5/11 The Scarlet Letter Irony Essay What if irony didn’t exist? If it didn’t, even at a minimal level, The Scarlet Letter wouldn’t be able to function in its complete and published form. Its frame and substructure of distinctly morose themes scrutinizing sin, knowledge, and the human condition would not exist without irony blistering beneath the surface. The symbolism and evocativeness of character names, for instance, the words “chill” and “worthless” can be...

Q: Irony is a device used by playwrights to convey meanings by words whose literal meanings is the opposite. Bring to light the various incidents of irony in the play Macbeth. A: There are two main types of irony employed by Shakespeare in Macbeth. 1. Dramatic Irony: It is the device of giving the spectator an item of information that at least one of the characters in the narrative is unaware of (at least consciously), thus placing the spectator a step ahead of at least one of the...

The irony within situations and statements dominates a story's plot, contributing to both the rising and the falling action, which William Golding accentuates in Lord of the Flies. When a group of young boys crash their plane on an island, they perceive the situation as an adventure, but they soon realize the danger in the unpropitious circumstances at hand. Through the situational and verbal irony that arises, Golding delineates how people can hypocritically adapt to having characteristics they...

Veronica Gorlovsky LI 203 Professor Dulgarian May 28, 2011 The Role of Irony in Shakespeare’s “Othello” The most captivating elements of Othello are Shakespeare’s clever use of literary devices, such as symbolism (i.e. the handkerchief, a symbol of faith and fidelity) and metaphor (Iago’s vulgar animal references- Iago tells Barbantio: “…an old black ram is tupping your white ewe” (1.1.88)). However, the most prominent literary device throughout the play is irony, especially...

The Pardoner's Tale: Irony Nearly every aspect of the Pardoner's tale is ironic. Irony exists within the story itself and in the relationship between the Pardoner and the story. The ending of the story presents a good message despite the Pardoner's devious intentions to swindle money from the other pilgrims. By using irony in the Pardoner's tale, Chaucer effectively criticizes the church system. The irony begins as soon as the Pardoner starts his prologue. He tells the other...

Irony of kingship One way to discuss the “irony of kingship” in Christopher Marlowe’s play Edward II is to focus on the ways in which Edward himself falls short of Renaissance ideals of a good king. Edward, in other words, has inherited the title of monarch, but he often fails to live up to the responsibilities of ruling a monarchy. His personal affection for Gaveston is so great that he often neglects his duties to his other subjects. This kind of neglect is already implied in...

Simple Story of Imagery and Irony "A Clean, Well Lighted Place", is a story about three men that come across one another one night in a bar. Hemingway uses a minimalistic style with symbolic imagery and verbal irony to reveal a story of three men with three views of life and despair. "Hemingway's style is famous for its simplicity-short common words, short sentences-and is said to be realistic and naturalistic" (Berryman 270). What stands out about "A Clean, Well Lighted Place" is its...

Burhan Malik Miss Gera ENG 1DA-01 26 November 2012 Once Upon An Unimaginable Fairy Tale: Irony in Nadine Gordimer’s “Once upon a time” Once Upon a Social Issue Fairy tales have always been told to us as children; whether to comfort or entertain us, they always seem to be a part of everyone’s childhood. “Once Upon A Time”, the title is a characteristic of a fairy tale, but she leads the story to an ending that is anything other than “happily ever after” (Gordimer 12). Although Nadine...

DRAMATIC IRONY IN A DOLL’S HOUSE Dramatic irony usually refers to a situation in a play wherein a character’s knowledge is limited, and he or she encounters something of greater significance than he or she knows. Throughout the play, most of the dramatic irony displayed is between Nora and Helmer, with Helmer being the character whose knowledge is limited. Dramatic irony is a device commonly and frequently used by playwrights. Irony arises from a contrast between appearance and reality between...

The uses of irony can easily captivate or excite us. Many times in order to understand the morals or theme of a story you need to be able to recognise the irony. In the short stories, “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl, “The Gift of the Magi” by O Henry and “The Suit” by Can Themba various forms of irony are present. These forms of irony include: verbal, situational and dramatic irony. The first story “Lamb to the Slaughter” is about Mary Meloney, a devoted caring wife that ends up killing...

Renata Lemos English 102 Professor: Jeff Ousborne 04/05/2013 The Power of Irony on “The Death of a Salesman” Authors use irony in literature in order to give double meanings and make it more interesting to the reader. In the play “ The Death of a Salesman” Arthur Miller uses irony as a strong writing technique in order to express the character's behavior. In “The Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller moments of situational and dramatic irony helps to illustrate the story's theme in...

Irony in “Good Country People” Flannery O’Connor uses characterization, and the themes of good versus evil and the psychological and physical problems of the characters, to create irony in the story. The characterization of both Mrs. Hopewell and Joy/Hulga creates irony, which begins with their names. Then the theme of good versus evil, demonstrated by the belief that country people are “good”, also creates irony. The story is about a farm owner, Mrs. Hopewell, her...

Often times do we encounter ourselves in contradictions perhaps even ironic situations. We’ve all experienced it. Oedipus Rex by Sophocles is truly based entirely of irony. Sophocles was conscious that the dramatic irony would be intertwined throughout the plot to enhance the simple fate of the tragic hero. The difference between the knowledge of the tragic circumstances and ignorant characters heightens the depth of the tragedy. The entire play is inundated with ironic connotations to which...

Irony in Lord of the Flies In William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, irony is present at every turn. Irony is the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. Ironic situations on the island do exactly this as they show both character flaws as well as present a microcosm of the occurrences in the world on a bigger scale. Instances in the novel involving the boys’ fire, their abandonment on the island, and...

The story Roman Fever written by Edith Wharton is about two women and the relationship that they have established over a long period of friendship. These women, Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade, have practically grown up together and they think that they know pretty much everything about one another. But as the story progresses, they realize that there is more and more that they have not told each other. Edith Wharton uses different types of writing and situations with the characters in the story to...

Irony in the “Story of an Hour” By Kate Choplin The Story of an Hour by Kate Choplin is about an older woman who struggles with coercion brought about by her husband and her surreptitious yearning for freedom. Mrs. Mallard does not truly know how miserable she was until she finds out that her husband has died in a terrible train accident. Kate Choplin writes this story in a limited, third person point of view; however, it is still quite exciting with how...

Galileo Alkalay Ms. Dudley Period 5 December 10, 2012 Irony & The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthrone’s Scarlet Letter is praised as one of the most revolutionary and compelling literary works in modern American history. The narrator’s omniscient, descriptive lingustics enfore the story’s captivating plot as well as invokes insights on the moral fiber of each character. For some, the novel is an inspiration to readers in regard to the powerful protagonist, Hester Prynne, with her...

 Irony in “The Pardoners Tale” Irony is a literary technique characterized by a contrast between what is written and what is to be understood by the reader. There are three types of literary irony; verbal, dramatic, and situational. In Jeffery Chaucer uses all three types of literary irony in “The Pardoners Tale.” Verbal Irony is a device used to convey a contrast between what is said and what is meant. There are a few examples of verbal irony in “The Pardoners Tale.” For example, one of the...

Explain in what ways “In Another Country” is a story of ironies. In the story In Another Country, one of Hemingway’s greatest themes is the implausibility of war, focusing on the fate of the soldiers in the aftermath of war, when they experience the tragedies and futility of their lives. In fact, the story offers a rethinking of war-related concepts and values such as bravery, heroism, patriotism, camaraderie, etc. and a tool used to convey contrasting or unconventional views is irony. For...

Verbal- when character lies to themselves or someone else Situational- find them in a situation they did not want to be in Dramatic- reader knows something the character doesn’t LADY MACBETH These deeds must not be thought after these ways; so, it will make us mad. 1. Act 1 Scene 4, line 50; the witches hail Macbeth, “thane of Cawdor!” Dramatic irony: At this point, Macbeth is unaware that the king has conferred this honor upon him because of his valor in battle, so he attributes his...

The verbal irony in “Othello” by Shakespeare In the tragedy Othello, Shakespeare uses many important literary elements, but one of the most important is irony. Shakespeare's use of irony in Othello has a great impact on the play. The irony is what makes the story so fascinating and different than any other stories. Irony is also used to add suspense and at the same time to make the reader wonder what is going to happen next. “Verbal irony is a contrast between what a character says and what...

Irony in ‘A Gospel according to Mark’ How would you feel accepting somebody into your family and allowing them to preach to you when they are not a religious believer themselves? As we learn more in Jorge Luis Borges story ‘The Gospel according to Mark’ we find a unique message that there exists some greater power in the universe that punishes those that do preach what they do not believe. Borges uses irony in a setting to realize the importance of knowing what you teach and the potential,...

Richard III - Irony of Shakespeare Shakespeare is known for his wit and brilliance in writing. One of his tactics is his use of irony. There are three types of irony: verbal, dramatic and situational. Verbal irony is a figure of speech in which the speaker says the opposite of what he or she intends to say. Dramatic irony is the contrast between what a character says or thinks and what the reader knows to be true. Situational irony is the discrepancy between appearance and reality or...

Sophocles often wrote about ancient myths that were common knowledge to the people who viewed his plays. “Oedipus The King” was written knowing that the audience is aware of the outcome of the play, and therefore utilizes that foreknowledge to create various situations in which irony plays a key role. More specifically, this dramatic irony is used to highlight the characters’ different flaws. Even though Oedipus was not a bad person, his lack of humility blurs his ability to see the truth of...

Dramatic Irony in Oedipus In the play written by Sophocles, Oedipus the King, there are several instances of irony. Dramatic irony, or tragic irony as some critics would prefer to call it, usually means a situation in which the character of the play has limited knowledge and says or does something in which they have no idea of the significance. The audience, however, already has the knowledge of what is going to occur or what the consequences of the characters actions will be. The degree of...

Foreshadowing is the warning or the indication that something else is going to happen later on in the story. In Death and the Maiden, Ariel Dorfman uses this literary device to the maximum, exploring all the different ways he can make the reader predict or foresee what’s going to happen next. However, Dorfman also takes on the audience’s ideas and implements dramatic irony, giving the plot a twist of events and making the audience question themselves and their own theories as to why the...

Irony and Foreshadowing in Poe’s Short Stories In Poe’s short stories, he uses literary devices like irony and foreshadowing to increase reader interest in his stories. Irony and Foreshadowing helps to create suspense, anxiety, and humor in his works. They also help to capture the audience’s attention and draw them into the story. Poe’s irony and foreshadowing are integrated in “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Fall of the House of Usher”. “The Cask of the Amontillado” is one of the best...

The Portable Phonograph Paradox, Symbolism, and Irony ‘The Portable Phonograph’ tells the tale of four men in a post apocalyptic world who gather once a week to bask in the glory of the arts. This short story by Walter Van Tilburg Clark holds hidden meanings and metaphors underneath the descriptive language and various literary techniques. The theme explores the idea that it is human nature to revert to primitive or basic instincts in a time of great crisis. The writer clarifies this...

“A Good Man is Hard to Find” In the short story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find” there is irony all through the pages. It shows how you should follow your gut instinct when you think you shouldn’t go somewhere, when you know something bad is going to happen. In the story it also talks about how the grandmother wore her nice clothes in case of an accident, she wanted to look like a lady in case anything bad was to happen. The grandmother was constantly talking about the good in people, but was she...

There are three types of irony: situational irony, verbal irony, and dramatic irony. Verbal irony is when a character or the narrator says something but doesn’t mean it or means something else; usually involves sarcasm. Dramatic irony is when the reader of the story has more knowledge on the plot than the characters. Situational irony occurs when a character is intending for something to happen but the opposite or something unintentional occurs; an example is a prank that has gone wrong and...

Literature allows people to experience and learn life’s lessons through text. One of the most commonly used literary devices is irony. Irony can be defined as the difference between appearance and reality, or when a reader expects or assumes one thing and the opposite is true. It allows an author to engage and surprise the audience, which often also teaches an important lesson. Two classic examples of irony through literature are Oedipus the King by Sophocles and The Story of an Hour by Kate...

Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor is an excellent example of irony in literature. From beginning to end it has a steady procession of irony, much of it based on the title of the story: “Good Country People.” In the beginning of the story we meet Mrs. Freeman, wife of the hired hand. She and her husband have been working for Mrs. Hopewell for four years. “The reason for her keeping them so long was that they were not trash. They were ‘Good Country...

Forms of speech and intonation are extremely important to capture the attention of the audience, whether it is in writing or spoken aloud. In literature, the author uses some literary devices to entice the reader and extract some sort of reaction from him or her. Tone is a literary technique that shows the author’s attitude towards the audience or reader. The tone of a literary work can be informal, formal, serious, angry, playful, intimate, etc. Similar to tone is mood, which is the created...

The Yellow Wall Paper Short Response In this story the Author uses a lot of ironic situations and symbolism to get his readers to understand and fully take grasp of what the theme is. The theme in “The Yellow Wall Paper” is about how this mentally ill narrator worsens her condition by not speaking out and remaining blissful to reality. Through out the story, the narrator feels as if she can not speak her mind toward her husband due to the man’s say in society during that time. The...

Irony is the very soul of Jane Austen’s novels and “Pride and Prejudice” is steeped in irony of theme, situation, character and narration. Irony is the contrast between appearance and reality. “Pride and Prejudice”, is filled with the fact that pride leads to prejudice and prejudice invites pride and both have their corresponding virtues bound up within them. Each has its virtues and each has its defects. They are contradictory and the supreme irony is that intricacy, which is much deeper,...

Contents Introduction Chapter I. Irony i.i Types of irony i.ii Irony in literature Conclusion to the Chapter I Chapter II. “The Jewelry” by Guy de Maupassant ii.i Plot summary ii.ii Analysis of the story ii.iii Irony in “The Jewelry” Conclusion to Chapter II Conclusion Bibliography Introduction “Expect the unexpected,” is something that I heard many times. We should follow this rule while reading different genres of writing, because writers use irony to keep readers’...

Name Teacher Class Date Dominican Irony Question: The Gangster, unlike many of the men in the book, is friendly, and treats Beli like a woman. However, his action creates an irony in the book. Explain. Answer: Many of the man in the book have been rude toward the girls in the book. They thought that their action is the right thing to do, since they have the Dominican Pride. All they really cared about was their appearance as a muchacha figure, and did not care for the girls’ feeling or...

March 31, 2009 One Big Mistake Authors use ironic situations in stories to keep the readers wondering what will happen next. Irony occurs when the reader predicts that the plot or character in the story has an intention or attitude opposite to that which was actually stated. Irony is also a form of sarcasm. In “The Cask of Amontillado,” Edgar Allan Poe uses every possible type of irony to create a chilling tale of a man being chained and left to die in a catacomb. In “The Necklace,” Guy de...