What is Irony?

1. What is Irony? DR. HUSNIAH SAHAMID

2. GREEK ORIGINS - • Irony - from the Ancient Greek εἰρωνείαeirōneía, • meaning hypocrisy, deception, or feigned ignorance

3. Irony • exposes and underscores a contrast between:   A. what is and what seems to be   B. what is and what ought to be   C. what is and what one wishes to be   D. what is and what one expects to be

4. Three Types of Irony 1. Verbal irony 2. Dramatic irony 3. Situational irony

5. 1. VERBAL IRONY glossary of literary terms - Abrams and Hartman • a statement • meaning sharply different from meaning expressed. • usually involves explicit expression of one attitude /evaluation • but with indications - the speaker intends a very different (often opposite), attitude or evaluation.

6. Verbal Irony • convey something other than, • and especially the opposite - of the literal meaning of the words • emphasize, aggrandize • make light of a circumstance or subject.

7. Verbal irony • a disparity of expression and intention: • when a speaker says one thing but means another, • when a literal meaning is contrary to its intended effect • someone says "Oh, that's beautiful", when what they mean (probably conveyed by their tone) is they find "that" quite ugly.

8. Verbal Irony • Eg.: a man stares out a window, looks at a miserably muddy rainy day and remarks: “Lovely day for a stroll.“ • This remark is ironic because it expresses the opposite of the circumstances.

9. Or -the statement: "What a nice day" when it is raining. “Way to go, Einstein” when someone makes a mistake

10. the reader knows that a statement is ironic • because of familiarity with the situation • or a description of voice, facial, or bodily expressions • which show the discrepancy/contrast

11. Verbal irony: 2 kinds • Understatement : - minimizes the nature of something • Overstatement: - exaggerates the nature of something

12. 2. DRAMATIC IRONY • device of giving the audience an item of information that at least one of the characters in the narrative is unaware of (at least consciously) • Thus the audience is a step ahead of at least one of the characters.

13. Dramatic Irony • contrast between what the character thinks to be true and what we (the reader) know to be true.  • placed in the position of knowing more than what one character knows. 

14. Because we know something the character does not, we read to discover – • how the character will react when he /she learns the truth of situation • Oedipus the King

15. Dramatic irony • when a character states something that they believe to be true • But the reader knows is not true • key to dramatic irony is the reader's information or foreknowledge of coming events.

16. Example • when you know that a certain ‘someone’ is hiding under the bed, but the heroine doesn't know it. • You want her to get a clue and stay away from the bedroom • So you think: . "Don't go in the room! Get out of the house!“ • The irony is that the heroine thinks she is safe, when you know she's in danger. • There is that element of contrast

18. Dramatic Irony: 3 stages • installation, exploitation and resolution • Also : preparation, suspension and resolution • producing dramatic conflict in what one character relies or appears to rely upon, the contrary of which is known by observers (especially the audience; sometimes to other characters within the drama) to be true.

19. DRAMATIC IRONY - summary • the audience knows something • that one or more of the characters in the piece is not aware of.

20. Dramatic irony • disparity of expression and awareness: • when words and actions possess a significance that the listener or audience understands, • but the speaker or character does not. • when a character says to another "I'll love you until I die!" not realizing a piano is about to crush them

21. Dramatic irony: examples Romeo and Juliet, • everyone thinks Juliet is dead, • but the audience knows she took a sleeping potion.

22. Oedipus the King • the reader knows that Oedipus himself is the murderer that he is seeking; • Oedipus, Creon and Jocasta do not

23. In City Lights • the audience knows that Charlie chaplin’s character is not a millionaire, • but the blind flower girl believes he's rich

24. Situational Irony • a sharp contrast between reality and human ideals • or contrast between intentions or actual results. • when things don’t work out as planned, • but go according to the situation, and the characters involved are unaware of the fact.

25. Situational irony • the disparity of intention and result • when the result of an action • is contrary to the desired or expected effect.

26. Situational Irony • contrast between what happens and what was expected. • Irony of situation is often humorous, • such as when a prank backfires on the prankster.

27. Example a person places a bucket of water over the door to pull a prank on his friend - forgets it later and gets drenched himself.

28. Example

29. Example • You are walking down the street and find a 10sen coin. • However, you do not pick it up and move towards the bus stop. • as you try to take the bus, you realize that you are missing just 10 sen to take the bus • so you have to walk instead.

30. The wonderful wizard of Oz • Dorothy travels to see a wizard to return home • Has the ability to go back home all the time. • The Scarecrow longs for intelligence - already a genius • Tin Woodsman longs to be capable of love, discovers he already has a heart.

31. The Lion, at first appears to be a coward - turns out to be bold and fearless. • people in Emerald City believed Wizard was a powerful God • discover he is a bumbling eccentric old man.

32. Questions on ironyadapted : http://serc.sogang.ac.kr/erc/Literature/Irony.htm • A. What are the most obvious irony in this play? • B. What are their implications?

33. Questions: Situational Irony • Do the situational ironies result from fate or human actions? • Are the characters aware of the situational ironies? • At what point do the character become aware of them? • What is the author trying to illustrate by pointing out the irony?

34. Questions: Dramatic Irony • What do the readers know about coming events or past events that the characters do not know? • When and what do they say that creates the disparity? • What does the author want us to think of them when they say these things? • Are the readers supposed to sympathize with them, or blame them for not being farsighted?