Name: ________________ Period: _____ Date: _________

“Lamb to the Slaughter”

Isn't it ironic?

The more you try to be ironic, the more difficult it is! Do you know what else is ironic? Irony has nothing to do with ironing! Irony is the humorous or scornful use of words to express the opposite of what one really means. What is said or written is not what is meant.

Three types of irony	Verbal Dramatic Situational
Verbal Irony	This is the contrast between what is said and what is meant. Most sarcastic comments are ironic. For instance, the person who says, "Nice going, Einstein," isn't really paying anyone a compliment.
Dramatic Irony	This is the contrast between what the character thinks to be true and what we (the reader) know to be true.  Sometimes as we read we are placed in the position of knowing more than what one character knows.  Because we know something the character does not, we read to discover how the character will react when he or she learns the truth of the situation.  Think soap operas! It's when you know the boogeyman is hiding in the attic, but the hero of the movie doesn't know that. You want him to get a clue and stay away from the attic. "Don't open that door! Get out of the house!" The irony is that the hero thinks he is safe, when you know he's in danger. There is that element of contrast again.
Situational Irony	It is the contrast between what happens and what was expected. Irony of situation is often humorous, such as when a prank backfires on the prankster. It's the equivalent of a person spraying shaving cream in his own face when he was trying to spray his best friend.