Verbal Irony
Define verbal irony.
Verbal irony is saying the opposite of what you mean
Define dramatic irony
When the audience, reader, or listener knows more about the situation than the character does. The audience is in on the secret.
Define situational irony.
A contradiction between what you can reasonably expect to happen and what actually happens.
What type of irony is this?
After a terrible day at work, you say to your friend, “Today was the best day ever!”
verbal
Irony or Coincidence. If irony, what type
You buy a brand new umbrella, and then it rains.
Coincidence (or just good timing).
What often occurs at the same time as verbal irony?
Sarcasm
Is this dramatic irony?
In a movie, a character named Sarah is at home alone, and she’s just received a call from her friend, telling her to be careful because there’s a dangerous person on the loose in the neighborhood. Sarah, however, doesn't seem worried and decides to go upstairs to bed.
Yes, we know that there is someone out in the neighborhood, and Sarah doesn’t which is why she isn’t worried.
Why is it ironic that a professional baker burns a batch of cookies?
You would expect a professional baker to be skilled at baking, but instead, they make the mistake of burning cookies, which is the opposite of what we'd expect from an expert.
What type of irony is this?
An old lady who is blogging and creating reels about her adventures with her new dentures and grandchildren.
situational irony - no one expects an older person to be tech savy
Irony or Coincidence. If irony, what type?
A professional dog trainer gets bitten by his own prize-winning Golden Retriever.
irony - situational
How is verbal irony different than sarcasm? Use an example if you want.
All sarcasm is verbally ironic, not all verbal irony is sarcastic.
Sarcasm has a harsh or mean tone to it, verbal irony does not.
Why is Dramatic irony important in a story?
Dramatic irony moves the plot of the story or film along.
It creates suspense.
Which of the following is situational irony?
A. A person who loves animals accidentally steps on
their pet’s tail.
B. A police officer gets a speeding ticket while driving to work.
C. A student gets a perfect score on a test without
studying.
D. A musician accidentally breaks their guitar while
performing on stage.
B. This is situational irony because a police officer, whose job is to enforce traffic laws, ends up getting a speeding ticket for breaking those same laws, which is unexpected.
A. not situational irony because it's just an unfortunate accident, not a contradiction between expectation and reality.
C. Surprising but isn't an ironic twist, it's just unusual.
D. is an accident, not irony, though it could be funny or unfortunate.
What type of irony is this?
A character thinks he is the son of a pauper, but the reader knows that he is the son of a king.
Dramatic irony. The reader is in the secret.
Irony or Coincidence. If irony, what type.
You and your best friend both show up to the party wearing the exact same "Unique" vintage shirt.
coincidence
Is this verbal irony? Why or why not?
A character might say, "I can't believe I just lost my job. This is the worst day of my life."
No, the character means exactly what they say. Losing a job would lead a person to say “worst day of my life”.
Is the following scenario an example of dramatic irony? Why or why not.
You're at a family party, and your friend is planning a surprise birthday party for your cousin. You know about the surprise party, but your cousin doesn’t. Everyone is acting normal, and your cousin is completely unaware that when they walk into the room, everyone will yell, "Surprise!"
Yes, you know something the cousin doesn’t. The surprise party is a secret, and the tension builds as you wait for your cousin to walk into the room, unaware of what’s about to happen. The irony comes from knowxing the surprise is coming, while the cousin has no idea.
Is the following an example of situational irony? Explain.
John is so irresponsible that his parents won’t get him a goldfish, but for his 13th birthday his parents buy him a horse.
Yes it is situational irony. You do not expect his parents to buy him a high maintenance pet when he can’t handle a low maintenance fish.
Is this irony? If so, what type?
A person spends hours cleaning their house, but when they finish, they accidentally spill a drink on the floor.
This is not irony.
While it’s frustrating, it’s not unexpected that someone might accidentally spill a drink after cleaning. It’s just a simple mistake, not an ironic situation.
Irony or Coincidence. If irony, what type.
A person who is afraid of heights wins a free skydiving trip
coincidence - just an unfortunate prize
Fix the following scenario to show verbal irony:
Tom is running late for school and rushes out the door, barely making it to the bus on time. Tom’s friend says, thank goodness you made it.
Tom’s friend says, “You’re always so early, Tom!” as he rushes by.
Is the following an example of dramatic irony? Explain why or why not.
In a horror movie, a character goes into a creepy basement, and the audience hears strange noises from within. The audience suspects that something dangerous is in there. The character proceeds downstairs without caution.
No, If the audience knew exactly what was lurking in the basement while the character didn’t, it could create dramatic irony—especially if the audience could see the danger but the character couldn’t.
Is the following an example of situational irony? Explain.
Macy is afraid of dogs, when she sees a little Yorkie on the street she screams uncontrollably and runs away. When the new neighbors move in however, she runs up to Bruno, a 120 pound Great Dane and asks if she can pet him.
One would expect if a small dog scares her, a big dog would also scare her. The opposite of what is expected occurs.
Is this irony? If so, what type?
A person wakes up early to make breakfast for their family, but when they get to the kitchen, they realize they don’t have enough eggs to make what they planned.
This is not irony.
While it may be inconvenient or frustrating, it’s not an ironic twist.
The person simply didn't have enough eggs, which happens often, and it's not an unexpected or contradictory outcome.
Irony or Coincidence. If irony, what type.
A woman has played the exact same lottery numbers—her birthday and her dog’s birthday—every single week for 20 years. One Tuesday, she is running late for work and decides to skip buying her ticket for the first time ever. That night, her exact numbers are drawn for the $50 million jackpot.
coincidence - no opposite outcome like you expect if it is ironic