Q. What is irony?

Irony occurs when an author uses speech, actions, or events to emphasize the opposite of what actually happened or was said. In general, irony takes the following forms in literature:

• Verbal: When a character says the opposite of what they truly mean, such as saying, "This weather is wonderful!" when there are torrential rains and heavy winds outside.
  • Sarcasm: Be careful not to confuse sarcasm with verbal irony, for sarcasm is a specific type of verbal irony that is used to insult or hurt someone.
• Dramatic: When the audience knows something a character does not, such as when they know the prince plots betrayal but the king has no idea.
• Situational: When the outcome of a situation is the opposite of what would be expected, such as a character's trying to prevent a problem actually causing it to happen instead.

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