What is dramatic irony?

Dramatic Irony is the audience are aware of something that characters on stage are not aware of.

Dramatic irony is a writing technique often used in storytelling as a means to build tension and create a sense of anticipation in the reader. It is where the reader is privy to information that the character is unaware of. It is used a lot in Greek tragedy.

Dramatic irony is a dramatic technique or plot device in which the audience knows something that a character doesn't, or they understand more about a situation than the character does. Dramatic irony has the effect of bringing different meaning to the words and actions of the characters, such as suspense or humour, depending on the intention of the writer. It's effective because of its impact upon the audience. This form of irony generates curiosity and encourages the audience to anticipate, hope, perhaps even fear the moment when a character learns the truth.

For example, a character may be under the impression that their romantic partner is planning on leaving them, but the audience knows that they intend to propose because of the character's words and actions experienced from the text. This would intensify the emotional response of the reader.

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the audience knows (***Spoiler alert***) that Juliet is in a drugged sleep. When Romeo mistakenly thinks she is dead and commits suicide, the audience is shocked and feels a deep sense of helplessness.

Another popular example is from horror films. A character is about to enter a house that they think is empty, but the audience knows there is a killer inside intent on murdering them. This creates suspense.

Dramatic irony, then, creates tension by concealing information from the character. The audience, or reader, will know the causes of conflicts and their resolutions before the characters, hence the character's words and/or actions taking on different meanings that create different effects.

Dramatic irony usually applies to plays. It is where the audience are aware of something happening that the people on stage are not. It is used to foreshadow certain events and build tension and suspense.

Dramatic Irony occurs when the audience (if it's a play) or the reader knows something that the characters don't. When the character's words or actions have a greater significance to the audience than themselves, we label it as 'dramatic irony'. The most famous example of dramatic irony is 'Romeo and Juliet.' Juliet takes a drink to give her the appearance of having died, when actually she is merely unconscious. Romeo had no idea that Juliet was faking her death; he thought she had really died! When he sees her he is overcome by grief, and decides to take his own life. This is an example of dramatic irony: we the audience know something (i.e: Juliet is alive) that the character on stage (i.e: poor, heartbroken Romeo) did not.

Dramatic Irony was originally used in Ancient Greek Theatre and is an important dramatic device used in tragedy.

Dramatic Irony occurs mainly in a play where the audience knows a piece of information that a key character does not.

For example: In Romeo and Juliet the character Paris tells the Friar that he and Juliet are going to be married on a certain day BUT we, in the audience, already know that Juliet has said that she would rather die than marry Paris.

When you as the reader of whatever you’re reading, knows something which the character dosen’t

When the audience knows something that a character(s) do not.

When the audience knows something that the character does not i.e. If a character were to say "I will have a great day today", and we already know that someone is planning to make his day awful!

A technique in literature whereby the audience or reader is made aware of something in that text that other characters are not. For example, when Romeo thinks Juliet is dead but we, the audience, know she has merely taken a sleeping potion.

A technique often used in theatre or other media, also sometimes in print. The main feature of such is that the 'audience', reader or consumer is made to know more of what is happening than the character.

Dramatic irony is a literary tool (often used in theatre, but also seen in other forms of literature), wherein the audience is aware of something that the characters are not. This may create tension, suspense or even humour in some cases.

When the audience know something that the character are not aware of.

Dramatic irony is a dramatic technique where the audience is well aware of a fact that the character doesn't. For example, in the play An Inspector Calls, Mr Birling refers to the Titanic as 'unsinkable,' which is an inaccurate statement.

A literary technique when the audience/reader know something that the characters do not.