Irony:Verbal, Situational, and

Dramatic

Ms. Wampler

Literature

Irony(The general definition of)

A contradiction between appearance and reality, between expectation and outcome, or between meaning and intention.

Three different kinds of irony: Verbal Situational Dramatic

Verbal Irony Occurs when someone says something

that deliberately contradicts what that person actually means.

Ex: Positive connotations- “My, you’ve certainly made a mess of things!” could be said to a hostess who presents a spectacular dish prepared with obvious care and skill.

Ex: Negative connotations- Sarcasm. “Go ahead and keep sleeping during class, why don’t you?” could be said to a sleepy student even though the teacher clearly doesn’t want the student to keep sleeping.

Situational Irony Occurs when something happens that contradicts

our expectation. Ex: “The Gift of the Magi” story Rock trio ZZ Top is famously associated with the

chest-length beards of guitarist Billy Gibbons and bassist Dusty Hill. The group's drummer, who only has a mustache, happens to be named Frank Beard.

A man jumps over a giant waterfall like Niagara Falls in a barrel and survives, only to take a clean-up shower where he slips on the soap and dies from trauma.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, an actor famous for his violence in film, campaigning against violence in video games in general - which ironically includes those featuring his own characters.

An anti-technology website.

Situational Irony cont.

Rapper Ice-T, once famous for his “Cop Killer” album, now plays a cop on Law & Order: SVU.

A fat personal trainer

Dramatic Irony

Occurs when the reader or audience is aware of a contradiction or situation that a character(s) does not know.

Ex: Romeo and Juliet

Practice Identify whether each of the

following examples are situations of verbal, situational, or dramatic irony: 1. A preacher’s daughter becomes an

atheist. 2. Sam invites his friend George over to

his house. George walks in and finds the house a complete mess. George says, “Gee, Sam, you didn’t have to clean up the place for me!”

3. In a scary movie, the audience knows a killer is standing around the corner, but the actress in the movie does not.

Is it Actually Ironic?

Alanis Morissette – Ironic

Even though the song is meant to contain examples of irony, it doesn’t

The irony of the song is that it’s called “Ironic,” but it’s not! What kind of irony would this be?

Is it Actually Ironic? continued...

It's Finally Ironic

What are the effects of irony?

Verbal irony?

Dramatic irony?

Situational irony?

What are the effects of irony?

Humor – irony creates a private joke that creates a sense of complicity between author and reader.

In effect, the author is saying to the reader, “I know you are smart enough to understand what is really going on here.” 

Irony in literature is intended to provoke the reader into thinking harder and analyzing a situation.

What are the effects of verbal irony?

Humor Help readers gain insight into character

personalities or motives Ex. A character who is frequently sarcastic or

dishonest might not be trustworthy. A character with credulity who believes that sarcastic character may be naïve.

Can be used by one character to condemn or draw out the flaws of another Ex. In the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar,

Marc Antony gives a speech repeatedly calling Brutus an “honourable man” even though Brutus has just committed a dishonorable act by slaying Caesar.

What are the effects of situational irony?

Situational irony can make a plot twist more interesting, draw attention to a reader's unwarranted biases, or show how a character handles an unexpected situation.

What are the effects of dramatic irony?

Dramatic irony can create suspense or tension for the audience.

Dramatic irony can stimulate strong emotions in a reader because the reader knows what awaits a character and may see the character act against his or her own well-being.

Exit Ticket

Write 1 example each of verbal, situational, or dramatic irony. It can be from a book, movie, real life, etc. or just something you make up, but it can’t be one of the examples used in class.

Turn in your exit ticket to the basket when you’re finished.

Paradox Definition: a statement or group of

statements that leads to a contradiction or a situation which (if true) defies logic or reason

For simplicity, think of it as more or less a play on words

Examples: “I can resist anything but temptation.” – Oscar

Wilde Your friend saying to you “I’m lying.” “I must be cruel to be kind.” – Shakespeare Interviewing for her first job, Sam is told he

doesn’t have enough experience for the position, but without the position he cannot gain the experience

Effects of Paradox Makes you stop and think! When you read

something that doesn’t make logical sense at first, you have to stop and think about it. Paradox is often used to draw attention to and

convey major themes Can be used for humor or to point out latent

truths Ex. – In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, one

part of the society’s cardinal rule is the statement, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”

Orwell’s book is a criticism of the Communist revolution. He is pointing out the latent truth that there is no such thing as an “equal” society

Difference between Irony and Paradox

A paradox is a statement that is self-contradictory

Irony doesn’t have to be a single statement, and irony doesn’t have to be contradictory

Both can be humorous.

Think, Pair, Share

Is it possible or desirable to tell the truth at all times? FIRST – Take two minutes to silently THINK

about your answer to the question. Write down notes if you need to.

THEN – For three minutes, PAIR with your desk partner. Tell ONLY YOUR PARTNER your opinion. Discuss reasons why you have your opinion and ask each other questions.

FINALLY – We will SHARE out. I will call on random partners to share what they discussed, so be ready to articulate your opinions!

“Like the Sun” by R.K. Narayan

p. 190 The author, Narayan, grew up in

Southern India – the setting of the short story

This is a story about a man who decides to tell the whole truth for one day

Goal for reading: Analyze how Narayan uses irony and paradox to explore the idea of honesty

Reading

When is speaking the truth less than desirable?

Volunteer – read page 191 What “truth” is Narayan trying to

convey by presenting Sekhar’s perception of honesty?

Through the interaction that Sekhar has with his wife, what reality is Narayan conveying about telling the “absolute truth”?

Reading

Volunteer – read page 192 from “His next trial” to “’Anything special, sir?’”

Volunteer – read from “’Yes.’ to “’behind closed doors…’” Why is it ironic that this is the day the

headmaster will ask for Sekhar’s opinion about his musical abilities?

Reading

Volunteer – read from “They started” to “get rid of the nuisance” on page 193

Volunteer – read from “The headmaster lighted” to “’come out with your opinion.’” What can we tell about what Sekhar

thinks of the headmaster’s music? What diction clues us in to his opinion?

Reading

Volunteer – read “’Can’t I give it tomorrow’” to “whatever happened” on page 194 Who is Harischchandra? What can we infer about what

happened to him? Why does the author make this

allusion? Volunteer - Read to the end of the

story How does Sekhar’s experience

contradict the idea that “honesty is the best policy”?

Think, Pair, Share

Critical thinking questions 3 and 4 Big Question

5 minutes to silently THINK and record your answer

5 minutes to PAIR with your partner and discuss your answers

Be ready to SHARE about your partner discussion if called on.