dramatic irony
1
5.6
- noun
- /drəˈmætɪk ˈaɪrəni/
- Literature
:
ironía dramática
- Bulwer's use of a nonfictional name forced comparisons between real-world and narrative ethics at the site of character, and his use of dramatic irony forced similar comparisons at the level of narrative communication.
Examples
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As Wayne Booth notes, dramatic irony "depends on an absolute sharing of certain knowledge" that only obtains effects "when the author is sure that we know that he knows that we know" (255, 256, emphasis original).
Academic text (2016) -
I am with everyone who is frustrated with Juliette, but unfortunately that is the role she has to play, and she's a victim of dramatic irony.
Blog text (6) -
The audience knows more than the actors on stage, and dramatic irony results.
Academic text (1999) -
You raise a good point, and up until this episode I was on board with the dramatic irony, and I totally understood her confusion.
Blog text (6) -
Referential dramatic irony, however, does not simply entail an enhancement of understanding or recognition.
Academic text (2016) -
There are leitmotifs, dramatic irony, and other voices: in short, the diary is not far from diary fiction as defined by Martens or Raoul.
Academic text (1999) -
Bulwer's novel foregrounds ethical comparisons relating to reference not just in terms of the proper name, but also in terms of the use of a peculiar type of dramatic irony that depends on reference.
Academic text (2016) -
In Shakespeare's play, the audience experiences dramatic irony when they know the truth about the doomed lovers, while the characters remain oblivious.
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The suspense in the movie builds on dramatic irony, as viewers realize the main character is walking into a trap that he cannot see.
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A classic example of dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows the villain's plan, but the hero confidently believes he is winning.
Synonyms
205
4.6
A situation where what happens is the opposite of what you expect
Surface Forms
Morphology
The parts 'dramatic' (relating to drama/theatre) and 'irony' (a contradiction between expectation and outcome) signal that this is a kind of irony associated with drama, so a learner can guess it is 'irony in a dramatic context.' However, the specific technical sense — that the audience knows something the characters do not — is a specialized literary notion not fully predictable from the constituents alone and may be unfamiliar to a B1 learner, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Dramatic irony comes from the theatre: dramatic means 'from drama' and irony is when what happens is different from what people expect. In plays, the 'audience' often sees a secret that the 'characters' do not, so the phrase means 'the audience knows something important that the characters do not'.