Irony

1. Irony • When what actually happens is different from what is expected to happen OR • When the implied meaning (connotation) of a statement is different from the literal meaning (denotation) of a statement.

2. Verbal Irony • The intended or implied meaning of a statement contrasts with the literal or usual meaning of the words.

3. Types of Verbal Irony • Sarcasm • Angelo’s mom walked into his room and looked around at the piles of dirty clothes and junk scattered on the floor. “Looks really nice in here, Angelo. Thanks for taking the time to clean like I asked,” she told him. • Overstatement • He’s so gorgeous that I literally burst into flames when I met him. • Understatement • Linda opened her front door to see a solid wall of snow. “It snowed a little last night,” she said.

4. Situational Irony • Irony of events • The outcome of a situation is unexpected or surprising • Example: A man steps to the side to avoid a wet dog, and falls into a swimming pool.

5. Dramatic Irony • Contrast between what a character knows about a situation and what the reader/audience knows about the situation. • Example: In the TV show Breaking Bad, Hank Schrader is a DEA agent hunting a crystal meth producer called “Heisenberg.” The audience knows (but Hank doesn’t) that Heisenberg is actually his brother-in-law, Walter White. • Example: In horror movies, the audience often knows where the killer is hiding, but the characters in the film do not.

6. Isn’t It Ironic? • Change one of the examples in the song to make it more ironic OR • Add another example of irony to the song