Irony

Irony is a form of expression in which an implicit meaning is concealed or contradicted by the explicit meaning of the expression. Irony involves the perception that things are not what they are said to be or what they seem. Dramatic irony lies in the audience's deeper perceptions of a coming fate, which contrast with a character's lack of knowledge about it.

Use of irony

The word "irony" is frequently used figuratively, especially in such phrases as "the irony of fate", of an issue or result that seems to contradict normal expectations derived from the previous state or condition.

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Situational irony

Players and events coming together in improbable situations creating a tension between expected and real results.

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example:

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• A shipboard scene of reconciliation and hope for an estranged couple ends with the camera pulling back to reveal a life preserver stencilled "SS Titanic".

Irony of fate

The expression "irony of fate" stems from the notion that the gods (or the Fates) are amusing themselves by

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toying with the minds of mortals, with deliberate ironic intent. For example:

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• Ludwig van Beethoven's loss of hearing;
• The 1956 loss by fire of the top of Harvard's Memorial Hall tower, while being restored by workmen.

Through comic or genuine delusions of grandeur, petty coincidences may loom at irony of fate:

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• The rain that sets in immediately after one finishes watering one's garden, following many days of putting off watering in anticipation of rain;

Examples of ironic incidents might involve the eviction of a landlord from his home, or the death of an atheist killed by a falling cross. In the first case, an incongruity exists between what happens (the person is evicted) and what is expected (the person normally evicts others); in the second case, a strong contrast emerges between the person's beliefs and his apparent fate.

Related Topics:
Landlord - Atheist

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Situations resembling poetic justice, but lacking the aspect of justice, may also be ascribed to the irony of fate.

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Tragic irony

In tragedy, what is called "tragic irony" becomes a device for heightening the intensity of a dramatic situation. Tragic irony particularly characterised the drama of ancient Greece, owing to the familiarity of the spectators with the legends on which so many of the plays were based. In this form of irony the words and actions of the characters belie the real situation, which the spectators fully realize. It may take several forms: the character speaking may realize the irony of his words while the rest of the actors may not; or he or she may be unconscious while the other actors share the knowledge with the spectators; or the spectators may alone realize the irony. Sophocles' Oedipus the King provides a classic example of tragic irony at its fullest and finest.

Related Topics:
Tragedy - Tragic irony - Drama - Ancient Greece - Legend - Sophocles - Oedipus the King

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Irony may come to expression in inappropriate behavior. A witness to a scene involving threats of violence, for example, may perceive continued politeness on the part of the victim as increasingly ironic as it becomes increasingly inappropriate. Sometimes the "second" audience is the private self of the ironist.

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When not recognised, irony can lead to misunderstanding. Even if an ironic statement is recognized as such, it often expresses less clearly what the speaker or writer wants to say than would a direct statement.

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Metafiction

:Main article: Metafiction.

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Metafiction is a kind of fiction which self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction. It usually involves irony and is self-reflective. Metafiction (or "romantic irony" in the sense of roman the prose fiction) refers to the effect when a story is interrupted to remind the audience or reader that it is really only a story. Examples include Henry Fielding's interruptions of the storyline to comment on what has happened. Daniel Handler's A Series of Unfortunate Events could also be considered a form of romantic irony, in which the action is frequently halted for a warning that the events to follow could be potentially distressing. The concept is also explored in a philosophical context in Sophie's World, by Jostein Gaarder.

Related Topics:
Henry Fielding - Daniel Handler - A Series of Unfortunate Events - Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder

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