Hello everyone! This blog probably seems out of the blue (it is), but I just felt excited about it so I wanted to share! Especially since it's done quite a bit on AFF (some right some wrong), I would really love to just discuss this with you! (this also probably makes me look like a literature nerd #APLit) But hey! Let's talk writing! Since most of you are authors, I thought it'd be really fun to discuss and debate about the use of this particular device. 

So, what I want to talk about is : dramatic irony. 

Sounds dramatic, doesn't it? Haha, well that's kind of the point, but not really. Dramatic irony is really one of my favorite literary devices. 

Dramatic irony is a common device that writers use - many times in movies, but they also occur a lot in books and plays. Dramatic irony can also sometimes be referred to as Suspense, and when used correctly, it provides the readers a nearly unnoticable reaction. Most reactions are sympathy - perhaps even anger or happiness.

Before getting into uses, Dramatic Irony is when the audience knows something that the protagonist or antagonist does not. It sounds simple, doesn't it? But in the words of Stranger than Fictions' Professor Hilbert - 

"Dramatic irony. It'll you every time."

Quite dramatic, don't you think? While its name certainly does imply that it's dramatic, the effect it has on the audience is usually subtle, but it definitely gets to them. It's probably time to wonder how simply knowing some information before the main character is so important. It may even sound like a dumb device to use in writing. But let me explain to you why I love it so much.

As always, that depends on the information given. 

Sometimes, if you have the Unreliable Narrator, you don't get much dramatic irony. But the little pieces you get always add something more to the piece. For example, let's say Character A was in a disguise and Character B just waltzes up and talks to them not knowing that it is Character A and makes Character A uncomfortable. It adds humor to the work, but not from a corny joke. Only the audience will find it humorous, in contrast to the characters who don't find it funny at all because Character B does not know the same information that the audience does. If Character B perhaps had known that Character A was in disguise, it would make for a very different humor.

In horror movies, we are more nervous than the protagonsits when we know that the killer is quietly waiting outside their hiding spot. But they don't know that. So the fact that we are scared for someone who doesn't even realize they need to be scared is ironic. (At least that's what I assume OTL please correct me if I'm wrong.)

In misunderstandings, we are sympathizing with the one misunderstood, unlike with an Unreliable Narrator, where we would usually sympathize with the one who misunderstood. 

It is probable Dramatic Irony works the best in tragedies. Especially in the case in which you are already informed of the character's inevitable death. It makes the integrity of the character's death change and you sympathize with everything bad that happens. If you knew a character were to die, it is typical that an audience sympathizes with the misfortunes and becomes happy with all the joys. It brings a very different view of the character's death, depends on the life the character had lead prior to death. I'm sure that if it were the antagonist that was to die, the audience would react much differently to joys and misfortunes of his life.

Dramatic Irony does well with playing with emotions. A great example of a sentence setting up Dramatic Irony is :

"Little did he know... (that he was walking right towards his death) (that his inevitable death would prove all his work in vain) (etc, etc)"

That means there there he knows little, but we know exactly what's going to happen; his death. It makes the timely death all the more heartbreaking, knowing that the character would die when they simply just go about their life innocently. But that doesn't mean that this sentence is always used. Dramatic Irony can be anywhere!

I understand that some people wouldn't like this type of Dramatic Irony and would rather prefer the death not to be 'spoiled,' per se. I understand the love of sudden death and plot twist, but personally I love it because the readers' emotions are what make it amazing.

I don't know if I explained it well, but hopefully you can see what I'm trying to get at! >< I would love to just nerd out about Dramatic Irony with any of you, and I love when it is used correctly in fics. It makes me sad when they use Dramatic Irony in tragedies wrong because it takes away the iminent beauty of said device. In most fics, I feel like the use of Dramatic Irony is usually when Person A is being intimate with a close friend but Person B assumes they're cheating. Yes, that actually counts as Dramatic Irony. A bit cliche, but Dramatic Irony, nonetheless :)

But of course, the integrity of the death or the break-up is not as good when they come back to life or get together. In my opinions, anyways, haha!

So how do you guys feel about Dramatic Irony? Have you ever used it? Would you ever plan on using it with purpose? Haha, and I'm completely sorry if I'm just nerding out and you don't understand any of it! X] also, I might do some more blog posts with writing tips and using literary devices effectively. Does that sound like a good plan? Lol, or maybe I won't X] it all depends!

But thanks for reading and feel free to comment below about your experiences with Dramatic Irony, anything you'd like to add, correcting me and such :)))

Love,

Quinnie! <3