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Literature vocabulary · Literary Devices and Figures of Speech

Dramatic irony

Meaning in literature, with examples

nounCommon term

In literature, dramatic irony means: A situation in which the audience or reader knows something important that a character does not, so the character's words or actions take on an extra meaning.

In Turkish: dramatik ironi

How it is used

A classic tool of tragedy and suspense. In Sophocles' Oedipus Rex the audience knows that Oedipus is the killer he is searching for; in Romeo and Juliet we know Juliet is only drugged when Romeo finds her. Critics say dramatic irony builds tension or creates pity.

Example sentences

  1. The dramatic irony is painful: we know the letter will never reach him.

  2. Horror films use dramatic irony when we see the killer but the victim does not.

Common collocations

  • a moment of dramatic irony
  • create dramatic irony
  • use dramatic irony
  • ironyA contrast between what is said and what is meant, or between what is expected and what actually happens, often used for humor or criticism.
  • tragedyA serious play or story in which the main character suffers and is usually destroyed, often because of a personal flaw or a fatal mistake.
  • foreshadowingA technique in which the writer gives early hints or warnings about events that will happen later in the story.
  • playA piece of writing for the theatre, made up of dialogue and stage directions, that actors perform in front of an audience.

More terms: Literary Devices and Figures of Speech

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