More handpicked essays just for you.
Short note on geoffrey chaucer
Themes of irony in the canterbury tales
Themes of irony in the canterbury tales
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Edgar Allen Poe uses irony to tell the reader that the foe of the narrator, Fortunato, is going to die but he doesn’t know it. One example of irony is when Fortunato says, “‘the cough is a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough’”(Poe, 36). This is an example of situational irony because Fortunato doesn’t know, but when he said that the cough will not kill him, it might lead him to his death when the catacombs he will be sealed in will make his cough deadly. This use of situational irony conveys the theme because even from one insult from Fortunato drove the narrator to take revenge by killing him and he has a dark perspective of how he is going to end Fortunato’s life by making him suffer.
The examples of irony listed above are only a few places in the book where irony is obviously present. Along with the instances already mentioned, there are also broader cases of irony in the novel that may not be so easily depicted. A dead and rotting body being hauled city to city for more than a week before it finally buried is humorous in itself. A youngster making holes in a coffin because he doesn’t truly understand that the person inside is dead also strikes the reader as comical. Furthermore, making a cast out of cement which ends up making the problem worse, and then busting off the cast with hammer and wedge is completely ironic and cannot help but encourage a good chuckle.
In the short story by Edgar Allen Poe, there are countless examples of irony to convey Montresor’s unlawful act, while applying an additional layer of irony to sabotage his revenge. An example of situational irony Poe uses in the story is simply the name Fortunato. Fortunato is an Italian name that means good fortune or luck. This is an example of situational irony because his name means the complete opposite of what he actually was.
In “The Pardoner’s Tales” Geoffrey Chaucer uses irony by saying “I’ll search for him, by Jesus, street by street.” It is ironic that he wants to search for death and in the end the rioters found death within themselves. He also uses irony because in “The Wife of Bath Tale.” The knight in this tale is
Another example of irony is the parents failed attempt of understanding the consequences of spoiling the kids: “We’ve given the children everything they ever wanted. Is this our reward—secrecy, disobedience?” “After all, we’re not criminals, whatever else we are. We’ve got to tell someone.” This quote is ironic because the parents are worried about their children's disobedience and secrecy, but they fail to see their role in creating these problems.
The Ironic Truth Irony is a complex and important element of literature that can help discover hidden perspectives within characters or hide the truth in plain sight. The story by Edgar Allen Poe, “The Cask of Amontillado” is a great example the dark ironic twist that happen in the story. The main character, Montresor, is hell-bent on getting his revenge on the man who shamed him, Fortunato. The verbal and dramatic irony that is being used in the story “The Cask of Amontillado” helps hide the true intentions that Montresor has planned for Fortunato. Verbal irony happens when one character says one thing but actually means something completely different.
Another example of irony would be when Huck meets the Grangerfords, who appear to be a very civilized and respectable family but it is soon revealed that they have been involved in a 30 year feud with another family that has caused many deaths on both
He uses a mock-romance plot by describing Chaunticleer's many wives and lovers. Chauncer uses a cock instead of a fierce, fearless knight to show that the story is mock-heroic style. To a reader, the story at first seems to be a fable because of the animals tales but when the story ends it has big plot twists, events, and
One example of situational irony is first, the name “Fortunato” means “Fortunate” in Italian, but Fortunato is actually very unfortunate. Next, the word “cask” means “wine barrel,” but coffin also comes from the same word. So in other words, Fortunato believes he will reach a cask of wine, but in all actuality he will reach his coffin. Also, another great example of situational irony comes when Montresor has just dismembered Fortunato and exits the catacombs. Then, Montresor claims, “My heart grew sick-“(240).
Irony is the most powerful literary device used in the short story, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. First, a good example of irony in the story is “They were burdened with sashweights sand bags of birdshot, and their faces were masked, so that no one, seeing a free and graceful gesture or a pretty face, would feel like something the cat drug in.” (P,2 Line, 11-13) This quote is Ironic as it tells how this system was designed to hide beauty, yet beauty was still shown by the amount of restraints on the person. Second, another good example of irony is, “The spectacles were intended to make him not only half-blind, but to give him whanging headaches besides.
Maupassant also shows irony thourgh Mathilde’s actions, “Instead of being delighted, as her husband had hoped, she threw the invitation on the table crossly, muttering: ‘What do you wish me to do with that?’" (Maupassant, 1)This quote would also be an example of situational irony,
Irony can be seen throughout the story in the words and phrases of the character. The irony can create a disturbing, yet slightly humorous scene with the audience not knowing what’s coming for the characters. In the short story, The Cask Of Amontillado, irony can be seen through the conversations of the two characters, Montresor and Fortunato. Although, Montresor is the character with most literary devices. Verbal irony can be seen in the story when Montresor told the “attendees” to stay in the house while he was gone.
One clear example of irony occurs when Laurie’s mother attends the PTA Meeting. For example “you must have your hands full in that kindergarten, with Charles.” Then the teacher states “Charles?” “We don't have any Charles in this kindergarten.” (Page 476)
In Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado,” irony is applied throughout to help foreshadow future and give more of an insight to the readers, all while adding some humor. Irony is divided into three main types: dramatic, situational, and verbal. Poe uses dramatic irony when he has Fortunato dress as a jester, “a tight-fitting parti-striped dress and his was surmounted by the conical cap and bells” (Poe). The get-up makes Fortunato looks foolish and foreshadows his actions of following Montresor into the catacombs to taste some wine. Montresor even compliments the outfit and says “My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met” (Poe), but it was not Fortunato who was in luck, but Montresor who would gain profit of their meeting.
One example is when Mrs. Mallard says, “free, free, free!” (Chopin). The reader would expect Mrs. Mallard to be upset at the loss of her husband, but in fact, she is actually feeling relief from it. Mrs. Mallard is happy because she is now free from living under her husband. Another example of Kate Chopin’s usage of irony is at the end when its said, “ they said she died of heart disease- of joy that kills” in a since they are right.
