Examples of Irony
Examples of Irony
Examples of Irony
Irony is said to have occurred when the words are used in such a way that they convey the opposite of their literal meaning. Although there is no hard and fast definition of irony and it is prone to as many interpretations as the user wishes to provide, in simple terms, irony is to say something and mean something else.
A circumstance which reflects irony is referred to as an ironical situation and its meaning is the total opposite of the one which is presented by the facts. There are three kinds of irony and they are dwelt upon individually in the following manner.
A Verbal Irony
A verbal irony is said to occur when the irony is expressed through words, which means the words convey a certain meaning but are intended to put forth a different meaning. Examples of verbal irony are scattered throughout the literary works as it is commonly used by authors and poets to convey the implied meaning. William Shakespeare used verbal irony in Julius Caesar through the speech given by Mark Anthony in which he uses the following words:
"Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honorable man."
Verbal irony is used by Robert Frost in his poem titled The Road not Taken' through the expressions "with a sigh" and "made all the difference" when the narrator is aware all along that he is going to narrate the story.
Irony of Situation
The irony of situation takes place when what actually happens is in stark contrast to something that was expected to happen. The most famous example of situational irony is a poem by Coleridge titled The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' which is:
Water, water, everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.
The irony of the situation is that although there is plenty of water everywhere it cannot be used for drinking. The situational irony is used by Anne Tyler in her literary work titled The Accidental Tourist' when she writes the following lines:
"Seated in a stenographer's chair, tapping away at a typewriter that had served him through four years of college, he wrote a series of guidebooks for people forced to travel on business."
Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony is presented through the medium of performing arts, particularly the theatre. It occurs when the audience is well informed about the situation or the circumstances as compared to the theatrical performers who are meant to be completely ignorant. William Shakespeare was a master of dramatic irony and used it in many of his plays like Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Macbeth and The Tempest. The dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet occurs when Romeo kills himself after he assumes that Juliet is dead but the audience is aware that Juliet is asleep under the influence of drugs. When she wakes up and finds Romeo's dead body, she kills herself.
Another example of dramatic irony is used effectively by Shakespeare in Macbeth when the main character Macbeth makes plans to murder Duncan while pretending to be loyal on his face. The irony of the drama arises because while the audience is aware of Macbeth's plan, Duncan is blissfully ignorant of what is going to happen to him.
Ironic Quotes
Some examples of irony as expressed in form of quotes from the present times which begin with the question Isn't it ironic that' are as follows:
Isn't it ironic that a restaurant called Hard Times Caf' has closed down because of recession?
Isn't it ironic that a domestic violence prosecutor in US has recently been charged with domestic violence?
Isn't it ironic that the poets, who know how to express so many beautiful things,
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