Definition:
Use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. A statement or
situation where the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or presentation of
the idea. Three kinds of irony are commonly recognized:
1. Verbal irony (also called sarcasm) is a trope in which a writer makes a
statement in which the actual meaning differs from the meaning that the
words appear to express.
2. Irony of situation is a trope in which accidental events occur that seem
oddly appropriate, such as the poetic justice of a TV weather presenter
getting caught in a surprise rainstorm.
3. Dramatic irony involves a narrative in which the reader knows something
about present or future circumstances that a character in the story does
not know.
Irony, in drama and literature, a statement or action whose apparent meaning is
underlain by a contrary meaning. In addition to verbal or rhetoricalirony, there is
also structural irony, sometimes called “irony of situation.”
Structural irony typically takes the form of a discrepancy between appearance
and reality, or between what a character expects and what actually happens.
Both verbal and structural irony share the suggestion of a concealed truth
conflicting with surface appearances.
Conscious ironies are recognized by the characters in a story or play. For
example, in English dramatist William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, Mark
Antony bitterly describes the men who have murdered Caesar as “honorable.” In
unconscious irony, words or actions are understood as ironic by the audience or
reader, though not by the characters. In Shakespeare’s tragic play Othello, the
title character repeatedly describes treacherous Iago as “honest.” Misled by
Iago’s lies, Othello becomes convinced that his innocent wife is dishonest. Othello
recognizes Iago’s deceptions only at the tragic conclusion of the play.
When irony is used structurally in a novel or a play, it is sometimes called 'tragic'
or 'dramatic' irony. In Oedipus Rex, by Greek dramatist Sophocles,Oedipus
attempts to find the murderer of Laius, king of Thebes, unaware that he himself
is the culprit. The audience, which knows the truth, perceives the dimension of
his tragedy early in the play and anticipates consequences that Oedipus does not
expect. His statements become unconsciously ironic—when, for example, he
prays that the murderer's life 'be consumed in evil and wretchedness.'
Irony occurs when a reader sees that an author is showing that there is a gap
between what a character thinks is true and what is really true. Whenever this
occurs, you can say that the attitude of the author is ironic. Irony may occur in a
number of ways:
-A character may say something that you can see is mistaken. The gap in that
case is between words and truth.
-Or a character can say something, the real meaning or implication of which is
very different from what that character supposed. The gap, or discrepancy then,
is between words and meaning.
-Again, a character can confidently expect certain events to happen or can set out
to achieve something, but you will see that things won't work out as expected.
The gap is then between intention and result.
-Finally, a character can interpret the world one way, but you will see that the
author is leading you to see that that is one way, but you will see that that is
wrong. This is the gap between appearance and reality.
When you write about irony, you should make clear who is placed in a position of
advantage and who is at a disadvantage. You should also remember
that irony can produce different emotional effects. It can be bitter, comic,
serious, tragic, sad, and so on. In your writing you should try to bring over
how irony can make the reader or audience change attitudes to a character. For
instance, you may be horrified by the callous inhumanity of Lady Macbeth, who
believes that, after the murder of Duncan, 'A little water clears us of this deed.'.
When, however, she walks in her sleep and is seen to be perpetually washing her
hands, you may see the terrible irony that 'a little water can't clear her of guilt.
When you see the irony, your horror may turn to pity.
Irony is spending half of your life making fire extinguishers, and then dying in a
fire because you didn't have a fire extinguisher.
You wanted to go see a concert with your friends. Your parents told you that you
could not go. So you went ahead and bought the nonrefundable three hundred
dollar tickets with your savings to see the concert. On the day of the concert you
were preparing to sneak out when your parents come in and surprise you. They
say, "Because you were so accepting and did not act rash about us not allowing
you to go to the concert, we bought the tickets so you could see them."
An old man turned ninety-eight. He won the lottery and died the next day... of
chronic emphysema from inhalation of the latex particles scratched off decades'
worth of lottery tickets.
Irony
The word "irony" is among the most commonly misused (and misunderstood) words in the
English language. Most people think that irony means a juxtaposition of opposites, as in:

It was ironic that the fire station burned down.
While this sentence has some element of irony in it, it is not really ironic, and does not
portray the full and correct meaning of the word irony. True irony involves some form of
deceit, duplicity, or hypocrisy, be it intentional or accidental.
.
The question calls for examples of irony. This answer provides many examples of irony
(each bulleted item is an example of irony), and explains the different ways in which they
are ironic.
.
The most common form of irony is when the spoken words do not convey the underlying
meaning. For example, it would be ironical for you to say:

He is as smart as a soap dish
because if your audience did not know what a soap dish was, or how smart it was (not),
they might interpret the statement as a compliment, whereas the underlying meaning you
intended to convey is an insult. This example is not a very skillful use of irony, because
everyone knows what a soap dish is. Irony is much more successful when subtly applied,
as in:

I have no doubt your theatrical performance will receive the praise it so richly
deserves.
Such a statement is meant to both flatter and insult the recipient at the same time,
because the intended recipient infers the statement to be a compliment, whereas everyone
else in the room understands the underlying insult hidden within the statement.
.
In another example, suppose an employee says to his boss in a large meeting with all his
co-workers:

Sir, may I say you are as smart as Einstein ever was.
But now consider that everyone in the room - except the boss - knows that the employee
has a dog named Einstein, and that dog was the real intent of of the employee's named
reference. This would be exquisitely ironic, because the boss would truly believe the
employee's statement to be high praise, whereas everyone else would understand the
statement for the ribald insult it was meant to be.
.
Irony can appear in other forms. It can be circumstantial or accidental. For example:

An ambulance driver rushes to the scene of an accident, only to run the victim
over, because the victim crawled into the middle of the street in the darkness of night.
This is an example of irony since, in this circumstance, the ambulance driver was
(accidentally) duplicitous - while he stated one intention, his actions (accidentally)
conveyed the complete opposite outcome.
.
Irony can be situational. For example:

In an effort to restrict viewership of a morally offensive movie, the city council
bans exhibition of the movie in theatres. By banning the movie, the city council creates
such a heightened awareness of the movie, that more people download and view
pirated copies of the movie over the internet - specifically because it was banned - than
would have viewed it in the theatres to begin with.
This example is ironic, because the city council achieved the exact opposite effect of what
it expressly set out to accomplish.
.
Irony can be fateful. For example:

In 1912 the Titanic was touted as "100% unsinkable", and yet the ship sank on its
maiden voyage.
In this example, the stated intent and the result were diametrically opposed. Similarly, in
another example:

In 1981, while standing next to his car, President Ronald Regan was hit in the
chest by a bullet fired by John Hinkley Jr. In fact, Hinkley's bullet completely missed
President Reagan, but then ricocheted off the car's bulletproof window, and struck
President Reagan in the chest.
This example is ironic, because the very technology that was intended to protect President
Reagan contributed to his injuries.
.
Irony can be dramatic. For example:

In the movie "The Usual Suspects", the US Customs officer Dave Kujan (played by
Chazz Palminteri) interviews a feeble, disabled witness, Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey),
whereas in fact Verbal Kint was none other than Keyser Söze, the mythically legendary
ruthless underworld mass murderer.
This example is ironic because the character Kint feigns his disability and timidity so
convincingly that Kujan never suspects Kint is anything except a dumb, second rate,
crippled criminal until after it is too late.

In the movie Roxanne, Charlie Bales (Steve Martin) writes letters for Chris
McConnell (Rick Rossovich), who then sends the letters to Roxanne Kowalski (Daryl
Hannah) and Roxanne falls in love with Chris.
This is ironic because Roxanne falls in love with Chris because of Charlie's duplicitous
ministrations.
Irony. What is irony? One definition is stated as this:
An irony or "ironic" thing is a literary device where there is a gap between what a speaker says
and what is understood. So, now that we know what irony is. But, what irony really is... is
funny. Funny as hell. Of course, it takes a rather quirky sense of humor to be able to appreciate
the funniness of irony. A rather wry, some what twisted sense of humor. The writings of Jeff
Vogel are a very good example of this... particularly his book called "The Poo Bomb". It's about
his personal experience and perspective of raising his first child, a daughter. And, if you are a
parent, irony abounds... everyday. If one is going to have kids, one better have a damned good
sense of humor... or develop it very quickly, or you will go out of your mind dealing with even
one small human who has a mind of their own, even if they don't quite know how to use it yet.
Another great example of irony is Alanis Morrisette's song, "Isn't it Ironic?" She had the idea of
irony down pretty good when she sang about how an old guy won a million dollar lottery, but
then the next day the old man died. Now, I know a lot of you couldn't see the rather dark
humor in that statement, or in the song for that matter, but I found the song to be wonderfully,
and deliciously funny. It showed the irony of just living life from day to day... and that even
when sad, or bad, things happen that life still has a sense of humor about it or another irony
example is what it is happening right now in the United States, the government decided to will a
wall or fence so illegal immigrants would not cross to the country well who is building the fence?
Illegal immigrants this is an irony.
Another excellent example of irony was an article I read several months ago about how a
poacher died. He killed elephants for their tusks. One night this guy decided to break into a wild
life refuge's animal hospital area to kill the sick elephant that had been brought in the day
before figuring that it would be an easy way to get a chunk of change. Hah.
The elephant's problem was apparently constipation, and the medicine they gave the old fellow
decided to take effect about this time. The poacher was trying to sneak up behind the elephant,
trying to get close enough to pop it with a tranquilizer without making too much noise. As he
got just behind the elephant, out gushed about 2 weeks worth of... well... crap.
The poacher was completely buried and smothered to death. Oh sweet irony! I laughed until my
sides hurt.
A rather fitting "end" for a poacher.
Irony is very much similar to cynicism at it's best, and cynical humor is my favorite form of
irony at it's best. Dennis Miller has that cynical, ironic, wry wit down to a tee. The man is
brilliant with the way he can so smoothly convey an insult and so many of the callers to his talk
show never catch on or realize, until perhaps a bit later that they've even been insulted.
Anyway, I think that by now you, the reader, have gotten a really good idea of just what irony
is and how it shaped the way we view the world around us. So, the next time you walk up to a
friend after you've been out working under a greasy car and getting oil splattered, or have been
playing football in the mud with the guys and you come home to your wife and she says, "Well!
Aren't you just a handsome sight!" You'll know she just used irony on you. Or, when your
teenaged son or daughter comes home with a new Mohawk and several new piercing in various
and sundry places you can say something like, "Hey! I didn't know the Rocky Horror Picture
Show was showing!" Or, "Damn! I think you need a few more holes punch in your tongue son!"
"No, really!"