Irony is a literary device that can be found in many books.
From Ancient Greek tragedies to Shakespeare, irony has left its mark on history and literature.
Irony can be hard to define because it depends on the situation, but most people agree that there are three types of irony: verbal irony, dramatic irony, and situational irony.
In this article, we’re going to share some examples of these ironies from different time periods and cultures so you will have a better idea of what they look like when they happen in real life – as well as what makes them ironic.
HISTORICAL IRONY
What Is Historical Irony?
The term historical irony was coined by the philosopher and author Eric Hoffer.
He described it as a situation that is tragic for one party but amusing or ironic to another, with an implication that the audience perceives the humor in it.
Historical irony often arises when:
1. The consequences of an action are opposite from what was intended.
2. A person’s character, morals, or ethics change over time.
3. An event causes someone to act differently than they otherwise would have acted if something had not happened first (i.e., foreshadowing).
Finding Irony In History
In order to find irony in history, one must first understand what irony is. Irony is when there’s a difference between what you expect and what actually happens.
It can be humorous or serious, but it always leaves a sense of shock with the reader. The best example of this tone can be found in the classic tale “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”
In this story, the protagonist repeatedly lies about being attacked by wolves until no one believes him and he gets eaten by a wolf because his friends all turn their backs on him.
What Is The 3 Types Of Irony
There are three types of irony: verbal, dramatic and situational. Verbal irony is when the speaker says one thing but means something else entirely while dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows more information than the characters in the play or movie.
Situational Irony is an event that seems ironic at first glance but then it’s revealed that there was nothing ironic about it after all.
What Are The 3 Main Types Of Irony
Irony is, by definition, an outcome that is different from what was expected.
There are three types of irony in literature: verbal irony, dramatic irony and situational irony.
Verbal Irony occurs when the opposite of what a speaker intends to mean is understood by the reader or audience.
Dramatic Irony happens when a character has information that another character does not have and it’s clear to the audience but not to the other character.
Situational Irony happens when something occurs which contradicts what was expected or desired.
What Is An Example Of Irony?
Irony is often defined as a discrepancy between what one expects and what actually occurs. Irony can be classified into three different types: verbal, dramatic, and situational.
Verbal irony is when the speaker says something that implies the opposite of their true meaning. Dramatic irony is when the audience knows more than a character in a story does about what will happen next.
Situational irony happens to people by accident or chance.
What Is Situational Irony?
Situational Irony is a literary technique that can be used in prose, theater, and film.
Situational irony usually involves a dramatic or tragic outcome of events which are the direct opposite of what was expected.
It often relies on humor to highlight how the characters’ actions lead them to an unpleasant result.
Verbal Irony
This type of sarcasm happens when there’s an intentional mismatch between words spoken and their meaning.
When someone says something like “I’m so happy!” but you know they’re really sad inside; this is verbal irony because the person intends to make fun of themselves by saying the opposite of how they feel while also making light-hearted commentary about their own feelings or situation.
Dramatic Irony
Irony is a literary device that often has an unforeseen consequence or outcome, which is the opposite of what was expected.
Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows more about a situation than the characters in the play/story do.
This can create suspense because you are wondering how they will react to something that you know happened while they don’t know yet.
Situational Irony
Situational irony is a literary device where the situation is different from what was expected.
This can be because of a change in setting, or because one event happens instead of another.
In both cases, the outcome isn’t what you might think it would be based on your understanding of the events leading up to that point.
Comic Irony
Comic Irony is a type of irony where the intended meaning and context are different from what is being said. This can be seen in literature, television, and film.
For example, if someone were to say “I’m not hungry,” comic irony would occur when they then proceed to eat an entire cake.
A good example of Comic Irony that many people are familiar with is the show Friends from 1994-2004 on NBC.
In one episode Joey has been hired by Chandler’s boss at his company for a big meeting but he gets caught with his pants down literally as he was trying to put them on while using the bathroom door as a mirror which Chandler had left open by accident.
Romantic Irony And Metafiction
Romantic irony is a literary device that describes the author’s attitude toward the events or characters in his or her work.
The tone of romantic irony can be anything from wistful to scornful, depending on how the author feels about what he or she has created.
Metafiction is a style of writing where you know that it’s fiction and just like there are elements in your life that you feel are not real, there are also aspects of this story that may seem fake to you.
Socratic Irony
Socratic irony, also known as a Socratic questioning technique, is a form of irony in which the speaker pretends to be ignorant of something that he or she actually knows perfectly well.
It’s named after Socrates who was famous for using this questioning technique when engaging with others and asking them questions that they may not have thought about before.
Irony As Infinite, Absolute Negativity
Irony is a paradoxical phenomenon that can be defined as the use of words to express something other than their literal meaning. Irony has been used in literature, film and television for many years but it was not until recently that irony became more prevalent in culture.
There are several types of irony including situational, verbal and dramatic/tragic, all with different meanings and implications.
