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Question

What is dramatic irony?

2 years ago

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290 Replies

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Justice Torphy


290 Answers

Julie L Profile Picture
Julie L Verified Sherpa Tutor ✓

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Hi Justine, it's when the audience knows something that the characters on stage don't.

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Trina E Verified Sherpa Tutor ✓

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Hi Justice, it's a technique. It's when the audience knows something that the characters on stage don't know because they learned something that the characters didn't. For example, maybe the audience saw a scene where a killer was preparing to kill someone. After the death, the audience knows who the killer is but the characters on stage investigating the death don't know who the killer was. Writers use it a lot in their plays and screen writers use it a lot too. Most of the time it is used to create suspense and tension.

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Dramatic Irony is a literary device used by an author or a playwright where the reader/audience knows something is going to happen before the characters do. For example, a character on stage might say the line "I'm going to live forever!", but the scene before it could show other characters plotting to kill said character by putting poison in his wine. The audience knows he won't live forever. Shakespeare's plays are full of dramatic irony!

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Liz C

Dramatic Irony is evident when the audience or reader of a text or play, knows something that the cast or character does not. For Example in An Inspector Calls , Mr Birling states that the Titanic is 'unsinkable'- but the audience would have known that the Titanic had tragically sunk killing many passengers. This would make the audience doubt Mr Birling's word or judgement. It also builds suspense.

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Dominick Oloo

This is the response given through expression that means totally different from the normal usually used to show humor and emphatic effects.

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Sian H Verified Sherpa Tutor ✓

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Dramatic irony is when the audience is aware of a particular event or action on stage which has been disclosed by a certain character but the other characters are unaware of this: it is a little like being in on the secret. The audience member, or the reader, is treated to inside information.

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Abi Croot

When the audience know something that the characters do not.

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Zhanetta Rodgers

It's bitter-sweet taste impact on you from the dramatic retelling or performance or a book

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Gillian S Verified Sherpa Tutor ✓

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Dramatic irony is when the audience knows what is going on in the play, but the characters on stage do not.

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Sati Samuels

A dramatic irony can take place in movies, plays, theatre and sometimes in poetry. We can call dramatic irony a situation where the audience is aware of a factor that the character is not aware of.

As exemple we can use Mcbeth of Shakespeare where Duncan says trusting mcbeth while not being aware of the prophecy of witches fortelling that McBeth is going to be king and kill duncan. The audience is then aware of the prophecy of witches. It is then called a dramatic irony

a dramatic irony has three stage wich are; installation, exploitation and resolution.

To conclude a dramatic irony is useful in stimulationg strong emotions and suspense in the reader awaiting for the character to come to the understandingof the situation

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Sharlina Islam

Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something the characters do not know.

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Aisha Verified Sherpa Tutor ✓

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Dramatic irony is when the reader/audience is aware of something occurring in a story or play, but the characters aren’t aware of yet. An example would be in Shakespeare’s play “Othello”. Iago is a character that talks to the audience about his schemes and plans to destroy Othello, and Othello is not aware of this.

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Kate A Profile Picture
Kate A Verified Sherpa Tutor ✓

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Dramatic irony is when you, the reader of the novel or spectator of the play, knows something that the characters do not.


eg In Act 1, Scene 3 of Macbeth, the witches greet Macbeth as Thane of Glamis and Thane of Cawdor: "By Sinel's death I know I am Thane of Glamis; But how of Cawdor? The Thane of Cawdor lives."


Macbeth (Act one, Scene three, Line 71-72)


The audience already knows Macbeth has been made Thane of Cawdor by King Duncan because the treacherous Thane of Cawdor has been put to death and Duncan has given the title to Macbeth.

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Mary-Kate O'neil

Dramatic irony is a literary device where the reader (or audience, if you're studying a play), know something that the characters don't, or know more than they do about the narrative or plot. Like in horror films, a character might be hiding in a wardrobe from the killer, and they don't know the killer is right behind them - but we as the audience know. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to great effect in Romeo ad Juliet - at the end, the reader/audience knows that Juliet is not really dead but only sleeping, but Romeo, wrongly convinced she is dead, kills himself because he doesn't want to live without her. The fact the audience knew that Juliet was really alive is an example of dramatic irony.

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Leena

Dramatic irony is a literary device authors employ to emphasise a character's lack of knowledge on an event or issue that the audience would be aware of already.

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