IronyIrony

The contrast between The contrast between expectation/appropriateness and expectation/appropriateness and

realityreality

Kinds of Irony:Kinds of Irony:

• DramaticDramatic– Audience or reader knows something Audience or reader knows something

important but the characters donimportant but the characters don’’tt• Verbal Verbal – Speaker says one thing but means the Speaker says one thing but means the

oppositeopposite• SituationalSituational– Reality is not what was expected or Reality is not what was expected or

appropriateappropriate

FormulaFormula

• In order to ensure that you get full credit for In order to ensure that you get full credit for your examples of irony we will be using this your examples of irony we will be using this formula for situational irony (the most formula for situational irony (the most popular in real life) for the remainder of the popular in real life) for the remainder of the year.year.– I EXPECTED…BECAUSE…BUT IN REALITY…I EXPECTED…BECAUSE…BUT IN REALITY…

Example:Example:

• You walk into an old fashioned diner in which You walk into an old fashioned diner in which the décor is done mostly in Coca-Cola products. the décor is done mostly in Coca-Cola products. Coca-Cola is definitely a dominant fixture is this Coca-Cola is definitely a dominant fixture is this diner. Yet, when you ask the waitress for an ice-diner. Yet, when you ask the waitress for an ice-cold Coca-Cola, she replies that they only serve cold Coca-Cola, she replies that they only serve Pepsi products. Pepsi products.

• You You expectedexpected the diner to serve Coca-Cola the diner to serve Coca-Cola becausebecause they are advertising it everywhere and they are advertising it everywhere and yet yet in realityin reality, they serve Pepsi (coke, they serve Pepsi (coke’’s greatest s greatest competitor) instead.competitor) instead.

Can you think of a time in real Can you think of a time in real life that was life that was IRONICIRONIC??

You would You would expectexpect Alanis Alanis MorrisetteMorrisette’’s song titled s song titled ““IsnIsn’’t t it Ironic?it Ironic?”” to actually provide to actually provide examples of irony, examples of irony, becausebecause

that is what the title implies, that is what the title implies, but but in realityin reality it doesn it doesn’’t!t!

LetLet’’s Practice!s Practice!

• An old man turned ninety-eightAn old man turned ninety-eightHe won the lottery and died the He won the lottery and died the next daynext day- We wouldn- We wouldn’’t t expect nor is it expect nor is it appropriateappropriate that a man who has that a man who has lived to be as old as 98 to die the lived to be as old as 98 to die the day after he wins the lottery day after he wins the lottery becausebecause he finally has a reason to he finally has a reason to live.live.

LetLet’’s Practices Practice

• It's a black fly in your ChardonnayIt's a black fly in your Chardonnay–What would you expect?What would you expect?–Why?Why?–But what really happened?But what really happened?–Use the formula!Use the formula!

• ItIt’’s a death row pardon two minutes too s a death row pardon two minutes too latelate

• It's like rain on your wedding dayIt's like rain on your wedding day• It's a free ride when you've already It's a free ride when you've already

paidpaid• It's the good advice that you just It's the good advice that you just

didn't takedidn't take

• Mr. Play It Safe was afraid to flyMr. Play It Safe was afraid to fly

He packed his suitcase and kissed He packed his suitcase and kissed his kids goodbyehis kids goodbye

He waited his whole damn life to He waited his whole damn life to take that flighttake that flight

And as the plane crashed down he And as the plane crashed down he thoughtthought

"Well isn't this nice...""Well isn't this nice..."

• A traffic jam when you're already A traffic jam when you're already latelate

• A no-smoking sign on your A no-smoking sign on your cigarette breakcigarette break

• It's like ten thousand spoons when It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knifeall you need is a knife

• It's meeting the man of my dreamsIt's meeting the man of my dreams

And then meeting his beautiful And then meeting his beautiful wifewife

Irony?

• In The Crucible, John forgets to say “adultery” when listing commandments after he commits it.

• There is a man who is teaching a gun safety class and shoots himself in the foot during instruction.

• Singing a song on a crashing plane by a band who died on a crashing plane.

Irony?

• Wearing green and gold on Fridays.

• The second a woman grabs a cab her appointment gets cancelled.

• An expert pickpocket is pickpocketed.

Irony?

• Someone who says that people should be nice and then that person is nice.

• Someone who says people should be honest and then that person is dishonest.

• A woman wishes for a baby and then gets pregnant the next day.

Irony?

• A judge arrives to work early.

• There is a smoke shop that does not allow smoking.

• I named my dog, “Dog”.