Irony and Satire

Irony and Satire
Objective 1: Define key vocabulary related to irony and

satire and give examples of each
Objectives
By the time you finish taking notes on this presentation, you should be
able to understand the definitions of key vocabulary related to
irony and satire and identify examples of each:
Irony (verbal irony, situational irony)
Paradox
Oxymoron
Satire (parody, caricature, hyperbole)

Irony
The concept of irony can sometimes be hard to grasp for many
students. However, understanding irony can be key to understanding
many works of literature.
At its most basic, irony occurs when what appears to be happening

on the surface level is quite different from what is actually
going on.
Understanding irony requires a student to consistently read between

the lines of a text, to recognize those moments when the reality of a
situation is different from the surface-level appearance of it.
Types of Irony
Irony can be broken down into several different forms, many of which
may actually already be familiar to you. This playlist is going to cover
the following types of irony.
- Verbal irony
- Situational irony
An additional type of irony, dramatic irony, is covered in the Dramatic

Form playlist.
Verbal Irony
Verbal irony is a type of irony in which the literal meaning of a
written or spoken statement is the opposite of what is actually
meant by it.
Verbal irony is somewhat similar to the concept of sarcasm, though they

are NOT exactly the same.
Sarcasm usually has a somewhat mean or biting tone. Verbal irony can
be sarcastic, but it isnt always.
Example of Verbal Irony 1
The opening lines of Jane Austens novel Pride and Prejudice are:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession

of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
Stating, in simple terms, that all rich dudes want to get married. Sounds
fine, right?
Well, actually, in the rest of the book, all of the rich male characters
seem to be completely uninterested in getting married! So, as
we read the rest of the book, we realize that Austen means the opening
lines to be ironic!
Example of Verbal Irony 2
In Act 3, Scene 2 of William Shakespeares Julius Caesar, the character
Antony utilizes verbal irony to great effect. In the play, Brutus murders
Julius Caesar, then defends himself by saying that it had to happen
because Caesar was too ambitious and in danger of becoming a tyrant.
Antony responds and uses verbal irony to destroy Brutus. He repeats

over and over again that Brutus is an honourable man but in between,
he makes arguments that paint Brutus as the exact opposite. By
repeating that Brutus is honourable over and over again, Antony
actually successfully makes the point that Brutus is dishonourable.
Situational Irony
Situational irony is a type of irony where there is a strong
difference between what you expect to happen in a situation,
and what actually happens.
Sometimes the outcome of an ironic situation can be humorous, but at

other times it can be serious as well.
Example of Situational Irony 1
In the movie The Wizard of Oz, the
character Dorothy thinks she has to travel
to the great Emerald City to find the
powerful wizard to send her home.
However, when she reaches the City, she

finds out that the wizard is actually a
bumbling fool and she had the power to
go home the whole time herself. The
situation turned out to be completely
different from her expectations.
Example of Situational Irony 2
In the short story The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, a poor couple
wants to buy each other Christmas gifts. The wife cuts off her beautiful
hair to sell it so she can buy her husband a chain for his family watch.
Meanwhile, the husband sells his watch to buy his wife some new
combs for her hair.
On Christmas, they realize that the gifts they got each other are
useless!
Paradox and Oxymoron
The concepts of paradox and oxymoron are related to irony, but arent
quite the same thing. Still, they are worth knowing alongside irony.
A paradox is a statement that seems to contradict itself, but

also seems to contain some level of truth.
An oxymoron occurs when two seemingly contradictory words are

put together in one phrase.
Example of Paradox
The premise of George Orwells Animal Farm is that all of the animals
on a farm revolt and drive away the old drunken farmer who owns
them. They start their own society, led by the pigs. The new
government has a set of laws, including:
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.
On its face, this statement makes no sense -- however, the

contradiction ultimately helps Orwell achieve his purpose. He is making
a commentary on how unfair and unequal governments that claim to
treat everyone equally actually are.
Examples of Oxymoron
Oxymorons are usually just a short phrase. Here are a few examples:
silent scream
cold fire
sweet sorrow
In all of these examples, the two words contradict one another.

However, these contradictions help to create deeper and more complex
meanings than what the basic meanings of these words imply.
Satire
Satire is a genre of literature that is closely related to the idea of irony.
In works of satire, an author attempts to expose and/or criticize
the corruption or absurdity of a person or society using humor,
irony, exaggeration, or ridicule.
Usually, the purpose of this is to try to improve that person or society

through this criticism.
Some terms related to satire include hyperbole, parody, and caricature.

Examples of Satire
Satire is everywhere in society! One recent,
prominent example is the fake news show
The Daily Show. The show mocks and
ridicules some of the more ridiculous
aspects of American politics. The most
satirical parts of the show come with the
correspondents who take on exaggerated
personas in order to demonstrate how
ridiculous current events and American
politics really are.
The Daily Show - Satire
In this video, The Daily Show satirizes

the idea that the name of the
Washington football team (the
Redskins) is anything but hugely
offensive.
It does this by juxtaposing interviews

with a group of Native American
activists with interviews with ignorant
Washington fans, to demonstrate how
ridiculous the idea that Redskins is
anything but offensive is.
Hyperbole, Parody, Caricature
Three techniques often used in works of satire are hyperbole, parody
and caricature.
Hyperbole: an exaggerated claim or statement that is usually not

meant to be taken seriously
Parody: an imitation of a particular style, artist, or genre that utilizes

exaggeration to create humor
Caricature: in literature, a description of a person in which some

characteristics are exaggerated to create a critical, comic effect

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Objective 1: Define key vocabulary related to irony and

Irony (verbal irony, situational irony)

Satire (parody, caricature, hyperbole)

At its most basic, irony occurs when what appears to be happening

Understanding irony requires a student to consistently read between

An additional type of irony, dramatic irony, is covered in the Dramatic

Verbal irony is somewhat similar to the concept of sarcasm, though they

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession

Antony responds and uses verbal irony to destroy Brutus. He repeats

Sometimes the outcome of an ironic situation can be humorous, but at

However, when she reaches the City, she

A paradox is a statement that seems to contradict itself, but

An oxymoron occurs when two seemingly contradictory words are

On its face, this statement makes no sense -- however, the

In all of these examples, the two words contradict one another.

Usually, the purpose of this is to try to improve that person or society

Some terms related to satire include hyperbole, parody, and caricature.

In this video, The Daily Show satirizes

It does this by juxtaposing interviews

Hyperbole: an exaggerated claim or statement that is usually not

Parody: an imitation of a particular style, artist, or genre that utilizes

Caricature: in literature, a description of a person in which some

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