How Is Irony Used In Literature

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Literary devices are a key element in writing, and authors use them for a variety of purposes in their work. Irony, foreshadowing, and imagery are three key devices used throughout literature. “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “The Monkey’s Paw,” and “The Cask of Amontillado,” written by Hans Christian Anderson, W. W. Jacobs, and Edgar Allan Poe respectively, each use these literary devices in order to create various effects, some similar and some different, which combine together to form detailed and interesting stories. Anderson and Poe used irony in “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and “The Cask of Amontillado” was used for relatively similar purposes, while it was used differently in “The Monkey’s Paw.” Poe made use of dramatic irony in “The Cask of Amontillado” to create a darkly …show more content…
For Example, when Montresor said “I [drink] to your long life” to Fortunato, the audience was aware that Montresor actually intended to kill Fortunato. This use of irony is similar to that in “The Emperor’s New Clothes” where “Nobody would confess that he couldn't see anything, for that would prove him either unfit for his position, or a fool.” All of the people including the emperor thought that he wasn’t wearing anything, but nobody would admit it, as they thought that everyone else could see the clothes. Like in Poe’s story, irony created a comedic effect, albeit a less dark one. In addition, irony in “The Emperor’s New Clothes” was also used to develop the theme. When a child said “But he hasn't got anything on” after the emperor came out in public, they announced, in their childlike innocence, that all of the adults had been lying to each other to protect their pride, revealing the main theme of the story: one should not lie to protect their self image. In contrast, comments such as “Well don’t break into the money

Story Of An Hour Situational Irony Analysis

Irony is found in many literature pieces; often known as creative literature. Irony is the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite. Sometimes used to twist and enhance or give vividness to the plot of a short story. In the short story “The story of an Hour” irony is used to expand the main theme; the author Kathe Chopin utilizes creative literature such as situational irony, as well as, dramatic irony. Chopin’s short story consists of many examples of situational…

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Verbal Irony In Shakespeare's Othello

In general, irony is the literary technique that involves differences between appearance and reality, expectation and result, or meaning and intention (Stone English Learning Lab). There are three major types of irony: verbal, dramatic, and situational. Verbal irony uses words to suggest the opposite of what is meant. In dramatic irony, there is a contradiction between what a character says or thinks and what the audience knows to be true. Situational irony refers to events that occur which contradict…

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Irony In 'Ozymandias'

Irony in Poetry There are three types of irony in literature: verbal irony, when an author says one thing and means something else; dramatic irony, when an audience perceives something that a character in the literature does not know; and irony of situation, when there is a discrepancy between the expected result and the actual result. Three poems that are good examples of the uses of these forms of irony are: “Ozymandias”, by Percy Bysshe Shelley, which uses dramatic irony; “Titanic”, by David R…

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The Power of Metaphysical Poetry Essay

imagery, insightful paradoxes, irony, and thoughtful metaphors to portray, and accomplish their lyrical ideas. (Cook) Through the reading of “To His Coy Mistress” the author Andrew Marvell uses metaphysical poetry and its power to convey his feeling toward a woman and to win over her affection. “To His Coy Mistress” is one of the most popular of metaphysical poetry. He uses all aspects of metaphysical poetry throughout the composition such as, intense imagery, paradoxes, irony, and metaphors. With the…

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Irony In Nadine Gordimer's 'Once Upon A Time'

Chapter 5 all convey a very compelling message about identity and rites of passage. Irony plays a major role in three pieces of literature in this chapter “Flood”, “Cinderella”, and “Once Upon a Time”. Irony allows readers to grasp the false sense of reality portrayed in an author’s work through the use of drama, sarcasm (verbal), and situations that take place throughout the work. Irony is a figure of speech used in most cases to give a different meaning to sayings that usually have completely opposite…

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Rain Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye

In Thomas C. Foster’s novel, How to Read Literature Like a Professor, an abundance of claims are made revolving around the hidden meanings and reasons behind symbols and words that authors use in their text. With each chapter and new subject Foster introduces, lists of examples are provided, but none of the examples are from the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. The Catcher in the Rye is a universally known novel that offers textual evidence that readers can relate to and first hand…

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Situational Irony In The Lady With The Dog

both used situational irony within the context of their literature while expressing the affairs within their stories. The two short stories were written in different era’s, but relate to one-another due to similar plots, themes, and ideas. The authors come from completely different backgrounds, although they seem to relate to each other through their works in literature. These two stories are similar in their themes of extramarital affairs, negative depictions of women and situational irony. Throughout…

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Romeo And Juliet Blank Verse Analysis

Romeo and Juliet almost impossible to overlook. Blank Verse is a type of poetry that is very seldomly used in literature due to its incredible difficulty. Dramatic Irony is used frequently to contradict the characters thoughts to the actual truth. Soliloquies are also used throughout the play to expresses deep thoughts and feelings about certain things or people. Using blank verse, dramatic irony, and soliloquies Shakespeare shapes the storyline and keeps the audience on the edge of their seat throughout…

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The Tell-Tale Heart 'And Lamb To The Slaughter'

us information about the main characters. Using the characters in this way, the authors create dramatic and situational irony to deliver the shock and suspense. Dramatic irony fulfills the suspense element of exciting dark literature. The major instance…

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How Does Shakespeare Use Irony In Julius Caesar

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…

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