Vocab quiz 11/07

Tragic Irony

n: A special category of dramatic irony is ___ irony. ____ irony occurs when a character in a play does or says something that communicates a meaning unknown to her but recognized by the audience. Ex: _____ irony is present when a character orders poisoned food that is supposed to kill him or her and the audience already knows that the character is destined to die from food poisoning.

Situational Irony

n: It involves a discrepancy between what is expected to happen and what actually happens. ____ irony occurs when the exact opposite of what is meant to happen, happens. Ex: 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.

Paradox

n: The term derives from the Greek word "paradoxon" that means contrary to expectations, existing belief or perceived opinion. It is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly but may include a latent truth. Ex: In George Orwell's Animal Farm, one part of the cardinal rule is the statement, "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others". This statement seems to make no sense. However, on closer examination, Orwell clear points out a political truth. The government in the novel claims that everyone is equal, but it has never treated everyone equally. It is the concept of equality as a verbal formulation with no factual basis stated in this paradox that is opposite to the common belief of equality.

Dramatic Irony

n: This type of irony is popular in works of art such as movies, books, poems and plays. It occurs when the audience is aware of something that the characters in the story are not aware of. Ex: An example of ___ irony could be a movie in which a detective does not know that the criminal responsible for the crimes in the city is his partner. The audience, however, is already aware of this fact and waits anxiously to know what will happen once the character finds out what they already know.

Sarcasm

n: While verbal irony implies a different meaning from what is actually said, _____ is mainly used as a sharp and direct utterance designed to cause pain. Ex: A statement like "Great, someone stained my new dress" is ironic, while "You call this a work of art?" is sarcastic.

Verbal irony

n: ___ irony is the use of words to mean something different from what a person actually says. The main feature of _____ 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. Ex: "Thanks for the ticket, officer -- you just made my day!"