Dramatic Irony

                     Dramatic Irony

Types of Irony

Dramatic Irony is a form of contrast. It is a situation in which the audience or reader has a better understanding of events than the characters in a story do. 

Verbal irony occurs when the literal meaning of what someone says is different from—and often opposite to—what they actually mean. Example: In Shakespeare's Twelfth Night the conversation taking place  between the Duke and Viola, disguised  as a page, illustrates the use of verbal irony. Similarly in  As You Like It Rosalind disguised as shepherd, speaks to Orlando her lover, in the Forest of Arden. Disguise is a source of verbal irony. 

Irony of situation in which circumstances covey opposite meanings to the characters on the one hand and audience on the other.  An example of situational irony is Macbeth's castle, were Duncan finds pleasure, but the audience is aware about his death. The greatest example of situational irony in the play is Oedipus trying to avoid the prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother. In his attempt to avoid the prophecy leads to him killing his father and marrying his mother.