ISN’T IT IRONIC?
Everything You Could Ever Want
to Know About Irony
What is irony?
• A literary device in which something is stated,
observed, or understood to be different from
what it really is.
• There are three different types of irony:
– Verbal Irony
– Situational Irony
– Dramatic Irony
(Next Slide)
VERBAL IRONY
• Verbal irony occurs when a character says
something that is discordant with what he or she
means.
• Let’s check out a clip from “Futurama” to see what
Bender thinks about verbal irony.
Back to Types of
Irony
VERBAL IRONY
• In the previous clip from Fox’s “Futurama,”
Bender tells us that verbal irony is “The use of
words expressing something other than their
literal intention.”
• There are three types of Verbal Irony
– Sarcasm
– Hyperbole
– Understatement
SARCASM
• A sharply mocking or contemptuous remark,
typically involving statements or implications
opposite of the intended meaning.
• Who can give me an example?
• Let’s check out a clip from Disney’s
“The Emperor’s New Groove”
HYPERBOLE
• Verbal
Observe
exaggeration
this clip from
usedFox’s
for effect.
“American Dad.”
• Who can give me an example?
understatement
• A statement that falls short, in intensity, of
the reality of the situation.
• Who can give me an example?
• Observe this clip from “Indiana Jones and the
Last Crusade”
Situational Irony
• Situational irony occurs when there is an
incongruity between what might be expected
and what actually occurs.
• Who can give me an example?
Back to Types of
Irony
Situational Irony
• Please Listen to the following clip and write
down some of the examples of situational
irony. What would be expected in each of
these cases? What actually happens?
Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic”
Dramatic Irony
• Dramatic irony occurs when the audience is
aware of everything that’s going on, but the
characters are not.
• Who can give me an example?
Back to Types of
Irony
Dramatic Irony
• Take a look at this comic strip. How does it
exemplify dramatic irony?
SATIRE
• So, then how does satire fit in to all of this?
• Satire often uses the types of verbal irony to point
out and make fun of human vice and folly.
• Please listen to the following song and read along
on the sheet we’ve provided. How is Weird Al
Yankovic using satire?
Weird Al Yankovic’s “Don’t Download This Song”