Types of Irony

Verbal Irony

Verbal irony takes place when the speaker says something in sharp contrast to his or her actual meaning. The speaker often makes a statement that seems very direct, yet indicates that the opposite is in fact true, or what the speaker really means. Looking at Alanis Morrissette’s “Ironic” again, the one true instance of irony comes when the man whose plane is going down says, “Well, isn’t this nice.” Clearly, the plane crash is anything but nice, and thus this utterance conveys the opposite of the man’s true feelings. Unlike dramatic and situational irony, verbal irony is always intentional on the part of the speaker.

Verbal irony can also consist of “ironic similes”, which are comparisons in which the two things are not alike at all. For example, “as soft as sandpaper” or “as warm as ice.” These similes mean that the thing in question is actually not soft or warm at all. The author Daniel Handler (who writes with the pen name Lemony Snicket) takes ironic similes to an extreme by qualifying them so they actually become real comparisons. For example: “Today was a very cold and bitter day, as cold and bitter as a cup of hot chocolate, if the cup of hot chocolate had vinegar added to it and were placed in a refrigerator for several hours.”

Dramatic Irony

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience has more information than one or more characters in a work of literature. This literary device originated in Greek tragedy and often leads to tragic outcomes. For example, in Shakespeare’s Othello, the audience is aware that Othello’s best friend Iago is villainous and attempting to bring Othello down. The audience is also aware that Desdemona has been faithful, though Othello doesn’t know this. The audience can foresee the imminent disaster.

There are three stages of dramatic irony: installation, exploitation, and resolution. In the case of Othello, the installation is when Iago persuades Othello to suspect that Desdemona is having an affair with a man named Cassio. Iago then exploits the situation by planting Desdemona’s handkerchief, a gift from Othello, in Cassio’s room. The resolution is only after Othello has murdered Desdemona when her friend Emilia reveals Iago’s scheme.

Situational Irony

Situational irony consists of a situation in which the outcome is very different from what was expected. There are contradictions and contrasts present in cases of situational irony. For example, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the citizens of the Emerald City assume that Oz is great and all-powerful, yet the man behind the curtain is revealed to be an old man with no special powers.

Tasks and questions for seminar 4

Give the definition to -Onomatopoeia

Classify two types of –Onomatopoeia

Describe main characteristics of- Alliteration (present illustrations)

Give the definition to – Rhyme

Explain the difference between complete and incomplete Rhyme

G ive examples of compound or broken rhymes

Give the definition to contextual meanings, and transferred meaning of the words

Speak on –Metaphor and its function,

-Metonymy , (present illustrations)

Give the definition to Irony and classify it (present illustrations)

strenuously   нареч. в начало
юр.	категорически
contest   гл. в начало
общ.	оспаривать; опротестовывать; отвергать; ставить под вопрос правильность (чего-л.); спорить; бороться; бороться с другим кандидатом за место в парламенте; соперничать; опровергать; опровергнуть; отстаивать; отстоять;
somnolent   прил. | Вебстер | фразы
общ.	усыпляющий; убаюкивающий; сонный; дремлющий; снотворный; дремливый (Gruzovik); дремотный (Gruzovik)
мед.	сонливый; находящийся в полубессознательном состоянии
Top of Form     Eng  Bottom of Form  decipher   сущ. | Вебстер | фразы   общ.  расшифровка; дешифровка   эл.  дешифратор  decipher   гл. в начало   общ.  расшифровывать; разбирать (неясный почерк, древние письмена и т. п.); распутывать; разгадывать; расшифровать(We were trying to decipher the notes we found written in the margins. ART Vancouver); разобрать
juxtapose   гл. в начало
общ.	помещать рядом; бок о бок; накладывать друг на друга; сопоставлять; помещать бок о бок; поместить рядом;сопоставить; рядом