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Definition of Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given situation, and that of the... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a given... read full definition
Dramatic irony is a plot device often used in theater, literature, film, and television to highlight the difference between a... read full definition
Dramatic Irony
Explanation and Analysis—The Cheating Stranger:
In an example of dramatic irony, readers are aware that the Stranger fills Smiley’s frog’s stomach with heavy pellets in order to win their bet, but Smiley himself is unaware of this. The irony comes across in the following passage, in which Wheeler describes the Stranger stuffing Smiley’s frog with quail-shot while Smiley is innocently out finding a frog for the Stranger to use in their competition:
“And the feller studied a minute, and then says, kinder sad-like, ‘Well, I’m only a stranger here, and I ain’t got no frog; but if I had a frog, I’d bet you.’
“And then Smiley says, ‘That’s all right—that’s all right—if you’ll hold my box a minute, I’ll go and get you a frog.’ […]
“So [the Stranger] set there a good while thinking and thinking to himself, and then he got the frog out and prized his mouth open and took a teaspoon and filled him full of quail-shot.”
In this moment, readers witness the Stranger’s progression from a seemingly “sad” man simply looking for a frog so that he can take Smiley’s bet to a manipulator who exploits Smiley’s kindness in order to weaken the gambler’s chances. This moment of dramatic irony highlights the difference between Smiley and the Stranger—specifically showing that Smiley has integrity while the Stranger does not—and also builds suspense for what will happen when Smiley realizes what the man has done.
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