Irony

Irony

 

 

There are Three Types of Irony in "The Pardoner's Tale"

• Verbal irony
• Situation irony
• Dramatic irony

 

1. Verbal Irony

Verbal irony is the use of words to mean something different from what a person actually says.
The main feature of verbal irony that sets it apart from the other different types of irony is that it is used by a speaker intentionally. It occurs in a conversation where a person aims to be understood as meaning something different to what his or her words literally mean.

For example, on my page Radix malorum est cupiditas, I say "He's in for a treat." I'm using verbal irony, because I really mean that the Host is going to be severely disappointed by the story the Pardoner tells.

What is an example of verbal irony in the "Pardoner's Tale?"

Verbal Irony and Sarcasm

Most of the time, sarcasm and verbal irony are used interchangeably. There is a clear distinction between the two.
In most cases, sarcasm is used to insult or to cause harm.
A statement like “Great, someone stained my new dress.” is ironic, while “You call this a work of art?” is sarcastic.
While verbal irony implies a different meaning to what is actually said, sarcasm is mainly used as a sharp and direct utterance designed to cause pain.

 

 

2. Dramatic Irony

This type of irony occurs when the audience is aware of something that the characters in the story are not aware of.

An example of dramatic irony would be when Romeo finds Juliet in a drugged state and he thinks she is dead. He kills himself. When Juliet wakes up she finds Romeo dead and kills herself. We could have helped them, but we can't communicate to them.

What is an example of dramatic irony in the "Pardoner's Tale?"

 

 

3. Situational Irony

Situational irony occurs when the exact opposite of what is meant to happen, happens.

An example would be when someone discovers their favorite flavor of ice cream that they've never tried, and their allergic to it.

There is however a difference between situation irony and coincidence or bad luck. When someone washes his car and it rains, that is just bad luck; nothing led him or her to think that it would not rain. However, when a TV weather presenter gets caught in an unexpected storm, it is ironic because he or she is expected to know the exact weather changes.

For situational irony to occur there has to be something that leads a person to think that a particular event or situation is unlikely happen, and then make it happen.

What is an example of situational irony in the "Pardoner's Tale?"



How does Chaucer use satire and irony together in this story?