IRONY

 1. Dramatic irony
 2. Situational irony
 3. Verbal irony
 4. Socratic irony

What is Irony? Four Types of Irony + Examples

Irony is the contrast between how things seem and how they are. The term
comes from the Latin word ironia, meaning "feigned ignorance."
Storytellers of all stripes use irony as a literary device to create tension,
humor, or as the central conceit in a plot.

To help you make heads or tails of this literary technique, this article will
dig into three common types of irony (plus one uncommon one):  

 Dramatic irony
 Situational irony
 Verbal irony 
 Socratic irony

4 different types of irony & how to use them

1. Dramatic irony

A favorite device of William Shakespeare, dramatic irony occurs when the

reader knows essential information that the main characters do not. That
shot in a horror film when the killer slowly appears in the background,
unseen by our hero? A short story set in the idyllic town of Pompeii in
78AD? Both of these are riddled with dramatic irony. 

So, why might a writer employ dramatic irony in a story?

To build fear and suspense

Will the character discover the secret we already know? What will happen
when they find out the truth? What if they find out the truth too late?
Subconsciously, all of these questions run through our minds as the story
unfolds.

Example: The Hobbit contains a perfect example of this when Bilbo

happens upon the ring while lost on a mountain. He puts it in his pocket
and soon afterward encounters Gollum.

At this point, readers understand the significance of the ring and its
importance to Gollum. However, Gollum does not yet realize he has lost the
ring, and Bilbo doesn’t yet know who the ring belongs to. For this reason,
the scene where Bilbo and Gollum engage in a game of riddles becomes
even tenser for the audience. 

To elicit sympathy for a character

If a character is happy, but we know that tragedy lies ahead, a reader
cannot help but sympathize with them. If the reader or audience is already
"rooting for" the characters, they will hold on to the hope that things will
turn out okay for them. 

Example: In the modern-day Shakespeare adaptation Ten Things I Hate

About You, bad-boy transfer student Patrick is paid by his classmate to woo
the cold and aloof Kat. The audience knows that Kat will eventually
discover the truth. The deception will wound her, and Patrick will
(justifiably) lose her trust. This dramatic irony gives the scenes where they
fall in love a bittersweet edge, making us sympathize with both characters. 

Dramatic irony: when readers know something the characters don’t 😲

To create comical situations

A lot of comedy comes out of misunderstandings — where a character

believes something that the audience knows not to be true. The dramatic
irony turns into comedic tension as the character obliviously digs
themselves (or other characters) into a deeper hole.

Example: In a season one episode of Friends, Joey tried to win back his
ex-girlfriend Angela by arranging a double date. Joey brings Monica
but tells her that Angela’s new boyfriend, Bob, is actually her  brother —
making it seem as though Bob is Monica’s date. This misunderstanding
turns to hilarious confusion as Monica is creeped out by how 'close' Bob
and Angela seem to be

.2. Situational irony

When the truth contradicts an expected outcome, it's situational irony —

also known as "the irony of events." Situational irony is closely related to
the idea of cosmic irony, where the universe seemingly contrives an event
for its own amusement. For example, when the "unsinkable" HMS Titanic
met an untimely end on its maiden voyage.

To clarify: “the irony of events” is not the same as "coincidence" and "bad
luck" (apologies to Alanis Morrisette). If you buy a new car and then
accidentally drive it into a tree, that is coincidental and unlucky, but not
ironic. However, if a professional stunt driver crashes into a tree on their
way home from receiving a "best driver" award, that is situationally ironic. 

Within the context of a story, why might a writer use situational irony?

To put a character in an impossible situation

A hero will often work towards a singular goal that they hope will solve all
their problems. Instead of simply allowing the hero to win with no strings
attached, a writer will often reveal a terrible cost to this 'victory,' forcing the
character to choose between what they want and what they need.

Example: Throughout the seventh book of the Harry Potter series,

readers follow Harry on his quest to find and destroy Voldemort’s six
Horcruxes. At the end of the novel, we find out that there is a seventh
Horcrux, so to speak — and it's Harry himself.

This unexpected twist also comes with the ironic realization that Harry
must sacrifice himself for Voldemort to die. So he willingly goes to meet
Voldemort — and his own death. But when Voldemort uses the killing curse
on Harry, it has the opposite of his desired effect. Harry lives while the
Horcrux dies, bringing Voldemort closer to his greatest fear: mortality.

In this way, Harry being a Horcrux is actually a double case of situational

irony. Harry believes he must die to vanquish his enemy, whereas
Voldemort thinks he is killing Harry, but he’s actually killing himself. Mind
= blown, right?

To create a good ol’ fashioned twist

You can draw strong reactions from readers by presenting them with
carefully executed twists and turns. A plot twist is all the more delicious
when it's the polar opposite of what you'd typically expect. Situationally
ironic storylines inherently possess an element of surprise, so they're
common in the thriller, crime, and mystery genres.

Example: In Roald Dahl's short story "A Lamb to the Slaughter," a

betrayed housewife kills her husband with a frozen leg of lamb. When the
cops arrive, she cooks the lamb and feeds it to them, effectively making the
police dispose of the evidence. Ironic, wouldn't you say?

To emphasize the theme or moral of a story

Steering readers to an unexpected destination in a story can emphasize a
moral lesson — often reminding readers that an expected outcome is not
always guaranteed. For this reason, authors often deploy situational irony
in fables or morality tales.
Example: In Aesop's "The Tortoise and the Hare," the unexpected
outcome teaches us that slow and steady wins the race. Or, if you ask us,
the real moral is that you shouldn't be complacent and take naps during
races.

You can also see this type of irony at play in Greek tragedies where the
tragic hero is punished for their acts of hubris (excessive pride) — which
was apparently the gravest sin in ancient Greece.

Example: In Oedipus Rex, the title character is, unbeknownst to him, a

foundling adopted by King Polybus. As an adult, Oedipus seeks out the
Oracle at Delphi, who deals a prophecy: he will mate with his mother and
kill his father. In an attempt to circumvent this prophecy, Oedipus leaves
home, thereby setting himself on the road to killing a man (who he later
discovers is his father) and marrying the Queen of Thebes (actually his
mother). By defying the will of the gods, he has dealt himself a fate dripping
with irony.

3. Verbal irony

Verbal irony is where the intended meaning of a statement is the opposite

of what is said. Sarcasm is a form of verbal irony, but it's almost always
used to denigrate someone or something. However, verbal irony can also be
used by characters who aren’t petulant teens from the 90s. There are
common phrases that perfectly exemplify verbal irony — many of them
similes comparing two entirely unlike things.

 "Clear as mud."
 "Friendly as a rattlesnake."
 "About as much fun as a root canal."
 "Thank you so much" (about something bad).
 "Fat chance!"

Broadly speaking, verbal irony works by either understating or overstating

the gravity of the situation. As you might expect, an
ironic understatement creates contrast by undermining the impact of
something, though the thing itself will be rather substantial or severe. 

Example: In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield casually says, "I

have to have this operation. It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor
on the brain." Of course, Holden is lying here, which is why he can be so
cavalier; nevertheless, the overall sentiment of this statement remains
ironic.

On the other hand, ironic overstatement makes something minor sound

like a much bigger deal to emphasize how minor it is. 

Example: Say you win $5 in a lottery where the grand prize is $100

million. A friend asks you if you won anything, and you say, "Yeah, total
jackpot" — that's an ironic overstatement.

Note: this is not to be confused with hyperbole, in which the

overstatement isn't ironic, but stems from wanting to convey just how
massive something is — even if it isn't that big. (E.g. "I'm so tired, I could
sleep for a million years.")
Now that we know the two faces of verbal irony, that leaves the question:
what effect does it have on a piece of writing?

It can highlight a fallacy

Verbal irony is often used for satirical purposes, exaggerating or
underplaying their descriptions to reveal a deeper truth. Viewed through a
lens of overstatement or understatement, the reader can see how flawed the
original concept might be.

Example: Verbal irony can be found in the very first lines of Romeo and
Juliet (a play riddled with irony).

Two households, both alike in dignity

In fair Verona, where we lay our scene
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
Though the first line may sound respectful, we can see by the end of this
verse that Shakespeare doesn’t mean both households are alike in their
great dignity. Instead, these lines imply that both households are equally
undignified. This irony also serves another purpose: notifying first-time
readers that not all that glitters is gold. While both families might
technically be considered nobility, their shared inability to act nobly toward
one another ultimately leads to a bitter end for our tragic heroes.

It can provide insight into a character

Dialogue is an incredible tool for revealing what a character is like — and
how they choose to say something will often speak volumes about who they
are. Very often, people who use verbal irony tend to be highly self-aware —
or entirely oblivious.

Example: In Casablanca, the corrupt (yet charming) police captain Louis

Renault follows instructions from German officials to order a raid on Rick's
nightclub under the pretext of closing an illegal gambling den. "I'm shocked
— shocked! — to find that gambling is going on in here!" Renault exclaims
while thanking Rick’s croupier for bringing him his winnings. This knowing
overstatement of 'shocked' reveals a lot about his cheerfully cynical
worldview.

For comic relief

Of course, sometimes writers use verbal irony simply to be funny. Whether
it's to highlight a witty character, lighten tension during a dark or difficult
scene, or simply make people laugh, verbal irony can provide a much-
needed moment of comic relief. As you might expect, verbal irony is a
common joke component.

Example: In Annie Hall, Woody Allen’s character Alvy Singer speaks

directly to the camera and sums up his life philosophy with an old joke.
“Two elderly women are at a Catskills mountain resort, and one of 'em says,
‘Boy, the food at this place is really terrible.’ The other one says, ‘Yeah, I
know, and such small portions.’ 

Speaking of philosophies, let’s finish off with one last type of irony that has
its origins in the ancient world.

4. Socratic irony

This one is a bit of a bonus because it's not technically a literary device —

it's more of an "everyday life" type of irony. Socratic irony is named after
the great moral philosopher Socrates, who would often feign ignorance to
expose another person’s faulty assumptions. It can often be used to uncover
someone's deceit.

Example: Peter Falk’s immortal detective Columbo was a big proponent of

Socratic irony to catch criminals out on their lies. He would first ask the
suspect questions that would give them the impression that Columbo
believed their alibis before slipping in “just one more thing” and dropping a
big question that would force the killer to contradict their earlier answers.

In a similar vein, Socrates gave birth to the Socratic teaching method,

where the teacher pretends not to know about a subject to encourage the
student to use their power of reasoning to arrive at the correct answer. 

Example: A six-year-old student asks the teacher whether he is married.

Instead of saying yes or no, the teacher asks the child if there is anything
different about how married people look: something they might wear. After
some encouragement, the child answers, “a wedding ring!” From there,
they can deduce that the teacher is indeed married.

Irony creates a contrast between appearances and underlying truths. When

done properly, this can significantly alter a reader's interaction with,
expectations of, and insight into a story. But irony must be used with care:
it requires people to read between the lines to understand its intentions: a
reader who doesn’t see the irony will take these words at face value, which
would be, as they say, ironic.