How Does Shakespeare Use Irony In Julius Caesar

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William Shakespeare wrote a play based on the event of Caesar’s death, known as “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar”. In the play, a man by the name of Mark Antony speaks at his good friend Julius Caesar’s funeral to defend him after he had died by the hand of a the Roman Senate because they feared he would become a tyrant. This play became known partially for its heavy use of irony. When writing the play, Shakespeare used irony in order to sway the opinion of the people of Rome, as well as the audience of his play. He does so by using verbal, dramatic, and situational irony, the three main types of irony used in literature. Shakespeare used verbal irony in the play, proving that words can change ideas in a story as well as in real life. When writing …show more content…
For example, dramatic irony is used in the play to allow his audience to foresee dangers most characters cannot. Whether they’re watching or reading the play, his audience is made aware that “... some in the Senate feared that he would become a tyrant and began plotting to have Caesar killed” (Source 1) before most major characters are, for instance. This ironic situation can cause viewers of the play to feel tension and suspense that will keep them on the edge of their seat, causing interest to spark. The audience is also able to understand just how terrible of a person Brutus was, despite the fact that the Roman people were not aware of such a thing. The knowledge Shakespeare’s audience has before Antony’s speech makes this event in the story ironic. This would be similar to the way Caesar didn’t know about how he was perceived by the Senate, but Shakespeare’s audience did. We know Caesar was oblivious to this because in the biography, it indicates that “When rumors of a conspiracy against Caesar started circulating, Mark Antony rushed to alert his friend but was unable to reach him” (Source 1) This is yet another example of irony that causes the audience to feel the need to know what happens next in the
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