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Irony and Satire
The Power of Words
What Is Irony?
Irony is the contrast or discrepancy between expectation
and reality.
•Irony surprises because what happens is not what we
expect. It catches us off guard and sometimes makes
us laugh.
Three Kinds of Irony
Three kinds of irony are
•verbal irony
•situational irony
•dramatic irony
Verbal Irony
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Verbal irony occurs when a speaker says one thing but
means the opposite.
“So, you don’t read much, do
you?”
Verbal Irony
An extreme form of verbal irony is sarcasm.
•Sarcasm may use taunting
praise to indicate the opposite
meaning.
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•Sarcastic remarks are
intended to criticize.
“I see you’ve finally figured out
the library’s five-book limit.”
Situational Irony
Situational irony occurs when what actually happens is
the opposite of what is expected or appropriate.
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•Storytellers can use situational irony to create plot
twists.
Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony occurs when the reader or audience
knows something important that the character does not
know.
•Dramatic irony may
•be humorous
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•produce a sense of dread
What Is Satire?
Satire is a type of writing that ridicules human weakness,
vice, or folly in order to bring about social reform.
•Writers may use satire to
•gently persuade people to change their own behavior or
societal customs
•expose and attack human stupidity and wickedness
The Tools of Satire
To create satire, writers may use
•irony
•wit
•exaggeration
The Tools of Satire
Satirists use irony to point out human weakness.
•Statement: “There’s nothing like the death of a wealthy
great-aunt to reunite the long-lost members of a family.”
•Translation: “Family members who didn’t care about
each other will suddenly appear if money is involved.”
The Tools of Satire
Satirists use wit to make readers laugh at their own
weaknesses. They hope that readers will realize their
faults and correct them.
•Wit combines deft phrasing with keen insight, often
pointing out incongruous or unexpected ideas.
She is a peacock in everything but beauty.
Oscar Wilde
The Tools of Satire
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Satirists use exaggeration to overstate something to
make it look absurd or worse than it really is.
What Have You Learned?
Match the terms with their correct definitions.
verbal irony
exaggeration
dramatic irony
exaggeration when they overstate something
Writers use _____________
to make it seem worse than it really is.
verbal irony
Writers use _____________
when they state one thing but
mean the opposite.
dramatic irony when they let the readers or
Writers use _____________
audience know something that is hidden from the characters.
The End