Previous
Literary Devices
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
Chapter 9: The Goldfish Pond
Explanation and Analysis—Sleight of Hand:
An important instance of dramatic irony occurs in Chapter 9, when Poirot interrupts a conversation with Sheppard, Flora, and Major Blunt to reach into the pond after something shiny. He comes up with nothing; after Flora and Major Blunt leave, Sheppard laments that Poirot got his suit muddy for nothing:
“And all for nothing, too,” I said sympathetically. “I wonder what it was in the pond?”
“Would you like to see?” asked Poirot.
I stared at him. He nodded.
“My good friend,” he said gently and reproachfully, “Hercule Poirot does not run the risk of disarranging his costume without being sure of attaining his object. To do so would be ridiculous and absurd. I am never ridiculous.”
As it turns out, Poirot did in fact retrieve something from the pond. He shows Sheppard a woman's wedding ring with an engraving: "From R., March 13th." He tells Sheppard that he carefully concealed the ring in front of the others by dropping it into his other hand before showing the empty palm of the hand he had used to reach into the pond. Just as Sheppard likely only tells his patients what they need to know, Poirot says, he concealed the ring because Flora and Major Blunt were better off not knowing about it, at least at this point.
Poirot's choice to show the ring to Sheppard ostensibly demonstrates that Poirot trusts the doctor more than he trusts Flora and Blunt. On a closer reading, though, he may not be as trusting as he first seems. Poirot simply doesn't have anything to lose by showing Sheppard the ring, which can't be said of Flora. The ring is a woman's wedding ring, and Flora is one of the only women around. What's more, some have suspected her of secretly marrying Ralph Paton, whose name begins with an R. The ring might very well belong to her. Then again, the "R." in the inscription could be someone else's initial—Roger, perhaps, or Raymond. What is fairly clear is that Sheppard is neither the ring's owner nor the person whose initial is inscribed on the ring. It is safe for Poirot to show him the ring, and doing so conveniently makes Sheppard believe Poirot trusts him implicitly.
Related Themes:
