"Bottom, you've been transformed," (Shakespeare 38). During this part of the scene, Nick Bottom's head was turned into that of a donkey. It was an example of irony. Irony is when the exact opposite of what you expect to happen actually occurs. There are three different types of irony: situational, verbal, and dramatic. In the play, A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare, there are many instances of irony.
Puck, the fairy, caused numerous problems in the lives of many people. He was the root of almost every example of irony in the entire play. The first example is when he turned Nick Bottom’s head into that of a donkey. The irony here is in Bottom’s name. He was turned into a donkey, or an ass, which is a synonym for the word “bottom.” This is an example of verbal irony, since the irony had to do with words or phrases. However, Bottom’s name is not only irony. It is also an example of foreshadowing, for it hinted at what would happen to him later in the play.
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When he was turned into a donkey, he did not realize this. He thought his companions were playing a trick on him when they ran away from him and said, “Oh my god! We’re haunted. Come on guys, let’s go,” (Shakespeare 38). Bottom continued to practice his part for the play, as if nothing odd had happened. This is an example of dramatic irony, for the audience knew that Bottom’s head had been turned into a donkey’s head, but Bottom did not realize this. Like in the last instance of irony, this was caused by the fairies because Puck was the one that turned Bottom’s head into a donkey. Without irony in this scene, the play would have been very dull and not as humorous to
In William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, the two main characters are people from enemy families, who fall deeply in love. Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's most famous plays. Shakespeare uses many stylistic devices to create this tragedy but most importantly he uses irony to develop this tragedy. Verbal irony is used to create humor and relief the audience, While dramatic and situational irony are used for tragic effects. Irony can can be found throughout the play. Shakespeare uses 3 different kinds of Irony: Verbal, situational, and dramatic irony to create the tragedy know as Romeo and Juliet.
Irony is a technique that uses words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning. For example, dramatic irony is a type of irony which is shown in the first Shrek movie. Fiona loves Shrek but only Donkey and the audience know. In this situation, dramatic irony is being created because the character Shrek does not know that Fiona loves him but the audience does. The short stories “The Lottery” the reader may find both situational and dramatic irony that both create the ironic ending.
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragic story about two lovers who are from two disputing families, and their eventual suicides. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony throughout the play to create tension for the audience and foreshadow the ending. Dramatic irony is when the words or actions of characters in a story have a different meaning to the reader than to the characters. This is because the reader knows something that the characters do not. Romeo and Juliet’s death could have been prevented if the characters in the story weren’t so ignorant of their situations, and often times the reader recognizes this.
Irony and foreshadowing are literary devices used in literature. Foreshadowing is when an element in the story is used to hint an event that will occur further along in the story. There are many different types of Irony. One of these is dramatic irony, which refers to when a character thinks something is true yet the audience know the actual truth of the situation. Another type of irony is
In the comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the plethora of comedic styles used by Shakespeare illustrate his intention to poke fun at love throughout the play. The play is notorious for its intricate and irrational plotline, mainly due to the constantly shifting love triangles. Once the powerful fairies become involved with the fate of the naive lovers – Demetrius, Helena, Lysander and Hermia – matters are further complicated. The complication inflicted by the fairies is credited to the powerful love potion that Oberon, King of the Fairies, hands over to Puck, a mischievous fairy, to use on his wife Titania, with intentions to embarrass and distract her. This spiteful attitude is due to Oberon and Titania’s argument over the custody of an
“Romeo and Juliet” is a very ironic Shakespearian play. At the beginning, Shakespeare leads the readers to believe the Capulet and Montague families are dignified, while throughout the whole story they prove time and time again they are not. Furthermore, when Mercutio and Tybalt are dueling, neither were intending to kill the other, but Romeo gets in between them and causes Mercutio to get stabbed and killed. It is ironic because the intent of the fight was not to kill, but it happened anyway. Finally, the biggest example of irony in the play is at the end. Juliet drank a potion to make it seem like she was
Dramatic irony occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play. Willy thinks that
Irony is defined as “a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character's words or actions are clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character:”(“Irony” Entry 3. Oxford Dictionary. November 5th, 2015, Web.) In literature, irony can be used to foreshadow situations about to occur. Irony is a literary technique that can be expressed in 3 different ways. There is Dramatic irony, Situational Irony, and Verbal Irony. Situational irony is defined as, “irony involving a situation in which actions have an effect that is opposite from what was intended so that the outcome is contrary to what was expected.” ("situational-irony."(Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 05 Nov.
In the play Othello, Shakespeare uses many literary devices to help the reader understand the theme of the story. One of those many literary devices used in the play, is the wide range of irony. Throughout the pages of the book the reader will see the use of dramatic, situational, and verbal irony. Shakespeare does not use irony in an understated way, it is very direct, and can be found on almost every page of the book. The use of irony creates suspense, and adds interest as to what will happen.
In the book Hamlet by Shakespeare, irony is used numerous times in order to give the reader insight on what is going on. As stated in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, irony is an action that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play. If this strategy were not included in this drama, it would take away the whole purpose. This play would consist of no suspense and would be extremely boring to the reader because the characters would know as much as the readers know. This allows for incite to what can happen in the future or what has happened in the past. The irony in this play ultimately revolves around Hamlet and his plan to achieve revenge with Claudius. From the play that Hamlet organizes
In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the use of dramatic irony has been quite prevalent during the first two acts. The most significant situation in which this occurs is in Act one, Scene five where Hamlet encounters the spirit of his dead father who tells him that it was Claudius that was responsible for his death. After hearing this news, he vows to avenge his death by killing the King. This scene manipulates the audience’s sympathy, develops character and advances the plot of the play. This situation is an example of dramatic irony simply because only Hamlet and the audience are aware of how the King really died.
A reoccurring theme in the play Macbeth is the use of ironic events. Irony is an unexpected occurrence that takes the audience by surprise and generally means the opposite of what is expected. These contradictory events enhance the plot of a story and create suspense. Irony is portrayed multiple times in this play and is known for making the play so amusing. Unexpected incidents throughout the plot occur in scenes involving the witches’ prophecies, Macbeth’s crimes committed to become king, and the back-and-forth changes in the mindset of Lady Macbeth.
In his play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare weaves a comedy full of madness and myth. Many of the characters of the play are caught between the world of humans and the world of fairies, causing magic and mischief to run rampant. Although labeled as a comedy, some of the characters in the play are more tragically inclined. The play is divided into a group of humorously dramatic characters, the lovers, and hopelessly comedic characters, the actors.
Dramatic irony is a very useful tool for comic situations. When the audience understand something that the characters in the play don’t, it creates a funny scene in the play. Shakespeare uses this a lot in Twelfth Night to create humor, as do other authors and playwrights. When characters in the play soliloquize, the audience finds out a lot of useful information, some information Shakespeare uses to create dramatic irony. When using dramatic irony, Shakespeare makes his plays way more comical.
Irony is the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. It is used throughout poetry and allows the reader to analyze and differentiate what seems, and what actually is. There are different types of irony including verbal, situational, and dramatic. Irony can be used in the titles of poems, or in themes and messages throughout them. There are many ways to interpret poetry, so irony is a powerful way of making a pointed comment or manipulating a reader's emotions.