Meaning of Irony
Irony is a literary device that is used to show the contrast between what something seems to be and what it actually is. Irony is used in different genres of literature to convey something that is in stark contrast to what is expected, which in turn creates a certain level of complexity.
The word “irony” is derived from the Latin word ironia. Like other literary devices, enables writers to write in a way that appeals to the readers’ emotions.
Types of Irony
Irony is used by writers to create comical, tragic, satirical, or any other effect that adds layers to their writing. There are three commonly used categories of irony:
Dramatic Irony
When readers have more information about circumstances in the story than the characters, then such irony is called dramatic irony. Following are some examples of dramatic irony:
- In the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, the main character Oedipus kills his father and is unaware of the fact that the man he killed was his father. He then marries his own mother oblivious to the fact that she is his mother. It’s ironic that he wants to get back at his father’s murderer, which is him. When he learns the truth about his father and mother, he feels guilty and full of remorse and gouges his eyes out.
- In Shakespeare’s Othello, the readers are aware of the fact that Othello’s friend Iago is an antagonist who intends to ruin Othello’s life. They also know that Othello’s wife Desdemona is not unfaithful, as claimed by Iago. However, the main protagonist, Othello, is unaware of Iago’s intent and doubts Desdemona’s loyalty to him. He is enraged by what Iago says and decides to kill Desdemona.
Verbal Irony
Verbal irony is when a statement means the opposite of what is said. Following are some examples of verbal irony:
- “Today was a very cold and bitter day, as cold and bitter as a cup of hot chocolate.” This is an excerpt from Lemony Snicket: The Unauthorized Autobiography by Daniel Handler. The statement compares a cold day with hot chocolate, which is expected to be hot; since the statement indicates the opposite of what is expected, it is a good example of verbal irony.
- “I swear! I never swear. I detest the habit. What the devil do you mean?” This excerpt from George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion is another great example of verbal irony. Although the character says he detests the habit of swearing, he is quick to swear, which proves that he definitely doesn’t detest swearing. In fact, it is quite the opposite. He seems to enjoy swearing.
Situational Irony
Situational irony is when the outcome of an event turns out to be completely different than expected. Following are some examples of situational irony:
- In O. Henry’s short story The Gift of the Magi, the main characters Jim and Della buy each other Christmas presents that they can’t use. The couple, with modest means, gives up something in return for money to buy a Christmas present. While the husband Jim sells his watch to buy a comb for his wife with long, beautiful hair, the wife Della sells her hair to buy a chain for Jim’s pocket watch. The irony in the situation is evident by the fact that neither can use what they bought for the other.
- In Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace, the main character Mathilde Loisel, borrows a diamond necklace from her well-off friend Madame Forestier to wear to a ball. She loses the necklace and borrows a huge sum of money to buy a replacement for Madame Forestier. Mathilde and her husband spend the prime of their lives working hard to pay off the debt. Years later, when Mathilde tells Madame Forestier about the necklace, she tells Mathilde that the diamond necklace was a fake one. It’s ironic that the couple spends a major chunk of their lives working hard to replace a worthless piece of jewelry.
Besides the above-mentioned types of irony, there are a few other types used in writing:
Tragic Irony
Tragic irony is a type of irony in which the audience is already aware of the impending tragedy that the characters in the story are oblivious to. Since it is similar to dramatic irony, it is considered to be a subtype of dramatic irony.
Socratic Irony
Socratic irony is a type of irony in which someone feigns ignorance to expose someone else’s lack of knowledge or contrarieties. It is named after the famed philosopher Socrates.
Cosmic Irony
Cosmic irony is the type of irony in which a higher power (like the cosmos, God, destiny, etc.) is involved in creating an ironical situation for the characters in a story. In other words, when an expected event occurs due to a twist in fate or sheer luck, then such irony is called cosmic irony.
Structural Irony
Structural irony is when a narrator or a protagonist is naive or perceives reality differently when compared to readers or the author. Situational irony is evident in stories that have an unreliable narrator with an unrealistic world view.
There are several literary devices and literary techniques used by writers to make their writing more engaging. Besides irony, writers also use metaphors, poetic devices, and rhetoric, among others, to help them write better and also make stories more enchanting.
