Dramatic irony is a form of irony that is expressed through a work's structure: an audience's awareness of the situation in which a work's characters exist differs substantially from that of the characters
Definition
Dramatic irony takes advantage of gaps between what the audience knows and what the characters know, so while we can recognize something said or done is mistaken, they can’t.
This can be painful to observe, as in the opening of Celeste Ng’s debut novel, Everything I Never Told You. It provides such a sad, remarkable example it’s worth block quoting:
Example
For example, if you are expecting a package to be delivered on your doorstep, but instead it's delivered to your neighbor's house, that would be an example of situational irony.
Situation irony is often used in literature and films to create a more comedic or suspenseful effect. It can be used to surprise the reader or viewer, and to add an element of suspense.
Conclusion
Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet. 1977, May 3, six-thirty in the morning, no one knows anything but this innocuous fact: Lydia is late for breakfast. As always, next to her cereal bowl, her mother has placed a sharpened pencil and Lydia’s physics homework, six problems flagged with small ticks.
Oof. Compelling stories bear no obligation to be fun, and in this respect, dramatic irony can be a powerful instrument. You can also download our app from the playstore or visit our website.
