Irony
3 Kinds of Irony
What is Irony?
Irony is about expectations.
Irony: the opposite of what is expected.
3 kinds of irony
• Verbal
• Dramatic
• Situational
Verbal Irony
A character says one thing but means
the opposite
Also called sarcasm or being sarcastic.
Examples
The boys’ locker room smells really good.
Awesome, another homework packet!
Verbal Irony
To find the verbal irony, ask yourself,
what is really being said?
If what the person actually says is not
exactly what the person really means,
you likely have verbal irony.
Dramatic Irony
When the reader understands more about
the events of a story than a character.
You know something that a character doesn’t,
or you know more than a character does.
Example
Tim’s parents are proud of the “A” he got on the
test, but we know he cheated.
Alex writes a love poem to Judy but we know
that Judy actually loves Devin.
Dramatic Irony
To identify dramatic irony, ask yourself
what did you already know happened or
was going to happen?
Keep in mind, audience knows MORE
than the character/s, so that is dramatic
irony.
Situational Irony
When what actually happens is the opposite
of what is expected.
Something about the situation is completely
unexpected.
Example
General Kane’s last words were, “They couldn’t
hit an elephant at this distance.”
Bill Gates uses an Apple computer.
Situational Irony
To find the situational irony, ask
yourself what were you expecting would
happen or what did you expect it to
be?
If the situation is something different than
what we expect would happen or is the
opposite of what you might expect
someone would say or do, then it is
likely situational irony.
REVIEW
Something that is ironic is unexpected.
If unexpected by a character, it’s dramatic.
If unexpected by everyone, it’s situational.
If it’s sarcasm, it’s verbal.
Irony Practice
1. If you have a phobia of long words, you
must tell people that you are
Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobic.
a. Type of Irony:_____________________
_________________________________
b. Explain your choice: ________________
_________________________________
IRONY ANSWER
1. Type of irony: situational
Explanation: It is ironic that people who
have a fear of long words must say such
a long word. It seems as if the people
who invented the word did it on purpose!
Irony Practice
2. A rat infestation at the Department of
Sanitation.
a. Type of Irony:_____________________
_________________________________
b. Explain your choice: ________________
_________________________________
IRONY ANSWER
2. Type of irony: situational
Explanation: One does not expect that an
agency that works to keep things clean
would have a rodent infestation.
Irony Practice
3. Mother: “I see you ironed your shirt.”
Boy: “But I just dug it out of the bottom of
the hamper.”
a. Type of Irony:_____________________
_________________________________
b. Explain your choice: ________________
_________________________________
IRONY ANSWER
3. Type of irony: verbal
Explanation: The mother is being ironic in
that she is pointing out that the boy’s shirt
is terribly wrinkled. She is being sarcastic
in order to make her point.
Irony Practice
4. A person Tweets about how Twitter is a
waste of time and energy.
a. Type of Irony:_____________________
_________________________________
b. Explain your choice: ________________
_________________________________
IRONY ANSWER
4. Type of irony: situational
Explanation: It is ironic that someone who
hates Twitter so much would use the
Twitter platform to share with others how
useless Twitter is. If the person thought it
was such a waste of time, why are they
using Twitter?
Irony Practice
5. You comment on the beautiful weather
you’ve been having just five minutes
before a tornado rips through your house.
a. Type of Irony:_____________________
_________________________________
b. Explain your choice: ________________
_________________________________
IRONY ANSWER
5. Type of irony: situational
Explanation: This is terribly ironic
because the tornado was not expected,
and in fact, you commented just how
beautiful it has been.
Irony Practice
6. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet stabs through a
curtain thinking his traitorous, murdering uncle is
there, only to learn that he actually stabbed and killed
the father of the woman he loves, and a man for whom
he had the utmost respect and admiration.
a. Type of Irony:_____________________
_________________________________
b. Explain your choice: ________________
_________________________________
IRONY ANSWER
5. Type of irony: dramatic
Explanation: Hamlet expected to stab his
uncle, who he hated, and instead ended
up stabbing and killing the one person he
trusted and admired. Shakespeare made
the audience feel terribly for Hamlet
through this irony, making Hamlet a
typical tragic hero.
Music Makes Sense
Create a chart on your own sheet of paper that
includes the THREE different types of IRONY.
Situational
Verbal
Dramatic
Music Makes Sense
List in the chart the THREE different types
of IRONY that you hear within the song.
Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic”
employs the types of irony
we’ve learned.
Irony’s End
Any questions?
Quotes about Irony
Relate each to your understanding of IRONY.
With every mistake, we
must surely be learning.
-George Harrison
The supreme irony of life is that
hardly anyone gets out of it alive.
As soon as you stop wanting something, you get it. –Andy Warhol
I only quote others in order
the better to express myself.
-Michel de Montaigne
The time you feel lonely is the time you most
need to be by yourself. – Douglas Coupland
ASSIGNMENT!
“Three Ironies Chart” + Q’s
Sketch the chart on paper then fill it in
plus answer the three questions; turn
into box if you complete before the bell.
Name:__________________________________________
Eng 9
IRONY is the use of words to convey a meaning that
is the opposite of its literal meaning; example: the
irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to
work all weekend. No, working all weekend isn’t nice!
In literature, irony is an action, behavior or attitude
OPPOSITE of what is expected or of what actually
happens. After learning about the three different types
of irony, fill out the chart below accordingly. Then,
answer the remaining three questions.
Type of Irony
Definition of
Example of
1. Consider stories you’ve read or movies you’ve
watched. Now, cite an example of dramatic irony.
2. What purpose does irony serve in literature?
3. Recount (tell of) an ironic situation in your life?