IRONY

What is IRONY?
•Irony:
a contrast
between
expectation
and reality
Types of IRONY

1. Verbal Irony
2. Situational Irony
3. Dramatic Irony
Verbal IRONY
 …is the difference
between what is
spoken or written
and what is
really meant

 One common type of

verbal irony is
SARCASM.
Verbal Irony

 You say one thing but mean another. Or,

what you say is not necessarily what you
mean.
Examples of verbal irony:

 Romeo and Juliet opens with, "Two

households, both alike in dignity, ...” but
later you realize they are both violent and
not dignified at all.

 You wake up have a terrible cold and feel

awful—and you look like a mess! When you
walk downstairs your mom greets you with,
“Well, you look lovely this morning!”
Your Examples of Verbal Irony
 …occurs when
there is a contrast
between what
is expected to
happen Situational IRONY
and what
actually happens
Situational Irony

 What you expect to happen is the

opposite of what actually happens.

 Often occurs in real life, but may occur

in literature as well.
Examples of situational irony:

A man branches from the main road to

avoid being hit by a speeding car and is
suddenly hit by a truck!

You study really hard for your big

literature test and fail it. The next test,
you choose not to study and get an A+.
 …occurs when the Dramatic Irony
audience or
reader knows
something the
characters don’t
know
Dramatic Irony
 The reader has “inside” information on a
character or events in a story. Therefore, the
reader knows more about a situation in the
story than the characters do; the reader is not
surprised when an event occurs, but a
character is.

 Only pertains to literature, T.V., or movies.

 Cannot happen in real life. (there is no
audience, readers, or characters in real life)
Examples of dramatic irony:

 In “The Tell-Tale Heart” you know from the

start that the narrator will murder the old
man, but the old man doesn’t see it coming.

 Ever see a horror movie where a killer is on

the loose? You know it is not smart for the
group of teens to go walking in the woods late
at night, but they think it will be fun.
Needless to say, they become the next victim.
 Literary Term Review:
1. Dramatic irony: the reader or
audience knows something that a
character does not know.
2. Verbal Irony: a person says or
writes one thing and means
another.
3. Situational Irony: An occasion in
which the outcome is different
from what was expected.
Your examples of dramatic irony?
IRONY in Action!
IRONY in Action!
IRONY in Action!
IRONY in Action!
IRONY in Action!
 Irony
Can you tell how each picture is
an example of irony?
 Irony
Vs. Coincidence
Irony vs. Coincidence

 Coincidence is when two things happen

at the same time by chance (randomly).

 Irony is when the opposite of what you

would expect happens.
Examples of coincidence vs. irony:

 If you meet your friend in the grocery store

because she just happened to be there when
you did, it is coincidental not ironic.

 You wear the same shirt as your friend on the

same day, that is a coincidence. BUT, if one
day you and a friend talk about how you have
completely different styles and never dress
alike, and the next day wear the same shirt
that is ironic.
 Irony or coincidence? You tell me!

 An old man turned ninety-eight

He won the lottery and died the next day
It's a black fly in your Chardonnay
It's a death row pardon two minutes too late
And isn't it ironic...dontcha think
It's like rain on your wedding day
It's a free ride when you've already paid
It's the good advice that you just didn't take
Who would've thought...it figures
 Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly
He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbye
He waited his whole life to take that flight
And as the plane crashed down he thought
"Well isn't this nice..."
And isn't it ironic...dontcha think
A traffic jam when you're already late
A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break
It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife
It's meeting the man of my dreams
And then meeting his beautiful wife
And isn't it ironic...dontcha think
A little too ironic...and yeah I really do think...
Your turn!
 Write 1 example of EACH type of irony and
coincidence. You can make-up examples or use
examples from real life.

 Write your examples in your notes.

 For dramatic irony, think of any stories or

movies in which you experience dramatic
irony.