What does dramatic irony mean?
Dramatic irony is very similar to verbal irony. Dramatic irony contains elements of contrast, but it usually refers to a situation in a greek play where a character who is omniscient watches over a less educated character as that character experiences a situation or event that is of lesser significance than that character realizes. Tragic irony particularly characterized the drama of ancient Greece, owing to the familiarity of the spectators with the legends on which so many of the plays were based. In this form of irony, the words and actions of the characters belie the real situation, which the spectators fully realize. It may take several forms: the character speaking may realize the irony of his words while the rest of the characters may not; or he or she may be unconscious while the other actors share the knowledge with the spectators; or the spectators may alone realize the irony. Sophocles’ Oedipus the King provides a classic example of tragic irony at its fullest and finest. Ir
