Types of IRONY

Verbal Irony 

Verbal irony is the use of language to express the opposite sentiment than what is expected. The most recognizable form of verbal irony is sarcasm, where the speaker says the opposite of what they mean, often for comedic effect.

Sometimes my dad will serve himself dessert and tell the rest of the family that it is 'disgusting' while simultaneously shoveling it in his mouth. He uses sarcasm, saying it is disgusting when he's clearly enjoying it, to get us to laugh.

In many of her novels, but especially in 'Pride and Prejudice,' Jane Austen uses irony to critique the institution of marriage. The novel begins: 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.'

The irony is that most of the men in the novel are not actively in 'want of a wife.' Bingley seems to like Elizabeth's sister, Jane, but then drops her rather quickly. George Wickham is a cad, totally afraid of commitment, and Darcy thinks too highly of himself to think any woman is worthy of him.

Situational Irony

Situational irony is when the exact opposite of what you expect to happen happens. Situational irony, like verbal irony, is powered by the incongruity between the expectation and the actual outcome.

Cartoons often use situational irony to get laughs, from a cat chasing a dog (instead of a dog chasing a cat) to a talking cartoon baby with a British accent who is smarter and more devious than any of the adult characters.

Situational irony can be used to create tragedy, too. As readers, we expect a wife to feel grief when she learns her husband has died in an accident. In 'The Story of an Hour' by Kate Chopin, Louise Mallard feels relief instead of sorrow when she is told her husband has been killed in a train accident. While her husband treated her well, Louise felt confined by marriage, and his death makes her feel free instead of sad. This is the opposite of what we would expect - situational irony.

Dramatic Irony

Dramatic irony is when a playwright or a novelist creates an ironic situation that only the viewer or reader knows about. Dramatic irony is said to be a type of situational irony that the characters aren't in on yet, which can create tension - the killer hiding somewhere we only know about - or humor - a comedy based upon mistaken identity.