Transcript Dramatic Irony

Dramatic Irony
By: Callie Clark
We Know…………
Characters Don’t
Dramatic Irony: when the audience
understands the meaning of the situation
because they know more information but the
characters do not, which builds Irony.
What Dramatic Irony is not….
1.
Dramatic irony is NOT just a dramatic event in
a work of literature.
2. It is NOT just a very dramatic form of irony.
3. Dramatic Irony is NOT just an event where the
audience wishes that the character would not
do an action.
4. Dramatic irony is not situational irony, it does
not come from what you expect to happen not
occuring. The irony occurs from the difference
of meaning, between the you and the
characters, in a situation.
As You Like It
Orland and Rosalind both fled to the forest and
neither knew the other was dwelling there. They
both are missing each other dearly and do not
know they are miles from each other. This is
dramatic irony, because we as the reader know
they are close and could be together but they are
completely oblivious.
The Giver
As the reader we are aware that Jonas is
experiencing his first glimpse of color. On the
other hand, Jonas is very confused.
The Outsiders
• Ponyboy, who is telling us the story, believes Darry does
not love him but as the reader we see past this and know
Darry does. Darry loves Ponyboy so much he gets too
angry when Pony does stupid things. So one time Darry
is so overcome with protectiveness and love he slaps him
and Ponyboy takes this as hate. Ironically Ponyboy runs
away and gets himself into a situation, that was even
worse than what Darry was punishing Ponyboy for being
involved in.
Fahrenheit 451
Also as the reader we may notice foreshadowing
that the character does not notice. If we see the
foreshadowing we may experience dramatic
irony. For example, in Fahrenheit 451 many
hints are dropped before they go and burn
Montag’s house, if we picked up on these hints
we would experience dramatic irony.
Pop Culture Example….
Snow White, when the old lady is actually the
Queen and the apple is poisoned. The “Old
Lady” claims that the apple will grant Snow
White a wish if she takes a bite. But in reality,
which the audience knows about, the apple is
poisoned. So we are hoping she doesn’t and we
know this apple will harm her, but to Snow
White this is just another visitor.
Why it Matters:
• We should understand this literary term because it
builds suspense and is a good tool to use in a story.
• Also it is useful to be able to recognize it so you are able
to know when the author is trying to build suspense or
an ironic situation.
For example:
• Beginning of show, NCIS, shows murder and murderer
• Throughout investigation we see guilty proven innocent
or believed to be victims
• Whole purpose of the first scene is to build suspense
using dramatic irony.
• At the beginning of a show, like NCIS, when the
first scene shows the murder. Then we watch
the investigation and you know who the murder
is but you have to watch them get proved
innocent or not suspected. The whole purpose
of this is to create suspense by using dramatic
irony
Homework
• Write down one example of dramatic Irony you
experience on television, a movie or in a book.
• Then explain why this is dramatic Irony
• Tell me what source the scene you describe is from.
In Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter," when Hester is in the
governor's garden to see to it that Pearl is not taken away
from her, she asks the Reverend Dimmesdale to support
her position. This is an example of dramatic irony as the
reader knows that Dimmesdale and Hester are partners
in sin, but the characters do not.
• You may NOT use my examples!!!!!!