Irony as a literary device has been used in order to achieve a sense of reality within works of fiction. It can be seen a sort of contrast between the surface meaning of something that is said or done and the actual, underlying meaning of…
Irony Essay Examples and Topics
Essay Examples
Essay Topics
Brief overview
Summaries
Definition
Irony is a literary device in which contradictory statements or situations reveal a reality that is different from what appears to be true.
Common examples
Telling a quiet group, “don’t speak all at once”, telling a rude customer to “have a nice day”, saying "thank you so much" about something bad, etc.
Examples in plot
- The Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum): the characters already have what they are asking for from the wizard
- Oedipus Rex (Sophocles): Oedipus is searching for a murderer who, it turns out, is himself
- The Cask of Amontillado (Edgar Allan Poe): the character “Fortunato” meets with a very unfortunate fate