How ironic! That is so ironic!
There are three types of irony: 1) Verbal irony 2) Dramatic irony 3) Situational irony
Verbal irony: an author says one thing and means something else; also known as sarcasm Examples: - The person who says, "Nice going, Einstein," isn't really paying anyone a compliment. -A story opens with these words: The rain was pouring, lightening was flashing, and thunder rumbled. It was a delightful day for a picnic. - Susie s mother bursts into her room and criticizes the way she s dressed, her friends, and the way she does her chores. Susie says to herself: Gee, Mom s sure in a good mood today!
Verbal irony: Your turn! Brainstorm with your partner. 1) A student takes a bite of her school lunch, and it tastes awful! What could she say in a verbally ironic way? 2) A mom goes into the living room and sees her son watching cartoons instead of doing his homework. What could she say to him in a verbally ironic way? 3) A dad is becoming impatient because his daughter never cleans her room. What might he say to her in a verbally ironic way? 4) A man is late for work and finds himself stuck in a traffic jam. What might he say in a verbally ironic way?
Dramatic irony This is the contrast [difference] between what the character thinks to be true and what we (the reader) know to be true. Sometimes as we read, we are placed in the position of knowing more than what one character knows. Because we know something the character does not, we keep reading/watching in order to discover how the character will react when he or she learns the truth of the situation.
Example #1: You know the boogeyman is hiding under the bed, but a character in the movie or story doesn't know that. You want him to wake up and get out of there! Open your eyes, kid! Get out of that bed!" The irony is that the hero thinks he is safe, when you know he's in danger. The contrast [difference] between what the character in the bed doesn t know and what you do know is dramatic irony. http://www.horrornews.net/monster_of_the_week/images/boogeyman_5.jpg
Example #2: Carefree swimmers in a movie or story are splashing around in the ocean having a great time at the beach. Little do they know, a ferocious shark is swimming towards them! You want them to turn and see the shark. But they just keep laughing and swimming. Get out of there! you think to yourself. The contrast between what the swimmers don t know and what you do know is dramatic irony. Shark!!! http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,6439265,00.jpg
Dramatic irony: Your turn Brainstorm with your partner: 1) The Anderson family sets the camera up on a tripod and poses for a vacation photo. What we know, but they don t realize is http://nelsonz.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/close-encounters.jpg
Dramatic irony: Your turn Brainstorm with your partner: 2) Ramón and María have been dating for several months. After taking her out for a lovely dinner, he walks her to her door and kisses her good night. María goes inside her apartment and thinks, Ramón is the only man for me. http://pelfusion.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/heart.gif We know something María doesn t know. After Ramón leaves her, he
Situational irony A discrepancy [difference] between the expected result and actual results. In other words, what happens is the one thing that shouldn t have happened. It is the contrast between what happens and what was expected. Examples
Large group discussion: Can you explain the situational irony in this cartoon? http://www.marceilbeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/motivational_poster_irony.jpg
Large group discussion: How is this man s problem ironic? http://roflrazzi.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/celebrity-pictures-irony.jpg
Large group discussion: Can you see the irony? http://www.insidesocal.com/tomhoffarth/irony.jpg
Situational Irony - Think of how this situation could have ironic results: 1) A drivers education teacher always cautions his students to drive within the speed limit, never to drink alcohol and drive, to follow all the traffic laws. Ironically, one morning the headline in the newspaper reads: Drivers Education teacher With your partner, finish the headline in an ironic way. http://blog.mlive.com/flintjournal/newsnow/2007/12/2007124kdr_driversed1_120307.jpg
Situational Irony: 2) A fitness professional always tells his clients to eat healthful foods and to exercise every day. Where would be an ironic place to meet this person? Discuss the possibilities with your partner. http://www.healthfoodoutlet.com/images/health_food/health_food_250x251.jpg
3) Here s one last example. What is ironic about this sign?