Dramatic Irony In Trifles

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In Trifles by Susan Glaspell, Mr. Wright 's murder never gets solved. That is because Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters unite against the county attorney, Mr. Hale and the sheriff. Trifles is about the county attorney, Mr. Hale and the sheriff trying to uncover evidence to show Mrs. Wright 's motive for killing her husband. As the play progresses, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters discover crucial evidence that proves the men 's theory: Mrs. Wright killed Mr. Wright. But they decide to hide the evidence to prove their ideas should be valued and are not something to be trifled, with the irony in the play which comes from the title. Trifles are defined as things of little importance. Within the play, irony comes from the men believing the women 's opinions are trifling although the women solve the crime. As a result, it leads to the men 's lack of evidence to prosecute Mrs. Wright. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters chose to hide the evidence because they see part of themselves in Mrs. Wright and do not want to condemn her. This leads to the women’s motivation to hide the evidence. Mrs. Wright has been lonely and unhappy for many years going through emotional abuse, and the killing of her bird: the one living thing that cared for her may prove …show more content…

The first reason which generates sympathy in the women is Mrs. Hale regret and her guilt, this is because she distanced herself from Mrs. Wright. She states, "I wish I had come to see Minnie Foster sometime" (Glaspell 233). Mrs. Hale feels she owes Mrs. Wright a form of compensation as a gesture of friendship and her way of repentance. After entering the Wright 's home Mrs. Hale saw how the Wrights ' lived and this gave her the chance to see from the inside how cold their house was. "It 's a lonesome place and always was" (Glaspell 230). "Cheerful? No- it 's not cheerful" (Glaspell 231). Mrs. Hale feels if she would 've been a close neighbor in friendship Mrs. Wright would 've had a form of companionship. This would 've provided her with positive human