Dramatic Irony: When Readers Know More

Explain how differences between what characters and readers know create tension or humor.

Dramatic irony happens when the reader knows something a character does not. It creates tension, humor, or sadness, because we watch characters act without the full picture. It often comes from point of view: an omniscient narrator or a switch between characters' scenes can give readers information the characters lack. Here's an original example: earlier in the story, readers saw Luis secretly plan a surprise party for his sister Ines.

Now Ines, who knows nothing, complains to a friend: 'Luis forgot my birthday again. He doesn't care at all. ' Readers feel amused and a little sorry for her, because we know how wrong she is. In a darker story, dramatic irony might mean we know the bridge is weakened while a character happily walks toward it, which creates dread. When you analyze it, state what the reader knows, what the character doesn't, and the feeling this gap creates. Ask how the story would feel without that knowledge.

• 1Dramatic irony: the reader knows something a character doesn't
• 2It creates tension, humor, or sadness
• 3State the gap in knowledge and its effect