What Is Irony Used for in Writing?

Irony is a multi-faceted literary device that a writer uses to point out the discrepancy between reality and how things appear or what was expected. When a writer uses irony in a work, there is incongruity in regards to the behavior of characters, the words that they say, or the events that take place. Consequently, a writer seeking irony uses indirect references instead of direct statements to point out the problematic relationship between the perceived and the truth, according to the "Encyclopedia of Rhetoric."

Clashing Words

Verbal irony is a figure of speech that occurs when a person intentionally says one thing, but means the opposite. A writer uses verbal irony to express an emotion or make an observation. An example of this type of irony is a character in a narrative saying that it's a lovely surprise after a doctor diagnoses her with pneumonia. Verbal irony can also come in the form of intentional overstatements, understatements and paradoxical statements, including types of sarcasm. Many such ironic phrases have been used so much that they've become cliches, such as a character saying that someone else's statement is "as clear as mud."

Knowing More Than a Character

When a reader knows more information than a character in a work, the author uses dramatic irony. A writer may use this literary device to build suspense, create tension, or sustain a reader's interest. An example of dramatic irony is in William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” The reader knows that Juliet drank an elixir to appear as if she died. Romeo doesn't have this knowledge, so thinks that Juliet is dead and commits suicide. A particular form of dramatic irony that writers sometimes use is tragic irony: All along the reader already knows the fate of a main character or knows about an event that will occur. Consequently, the words or actions of the unsuspecting character contradict the actual situation. An example of tragic irony is a narrative about the “Titanic” by someone onboard.

Concluding with the Unexpected

When the outcome or conclusion of a work ends differently than expected, a writer uses situational irony. An individual may use this type of irony to teach a lesson or emphasize a truth. O. Henry uses situational irony in his short story, “The Gift of the Magi,” to teach about the gift of sacrifice. In the narrative, Della sells her hair and Jim sells his pocket watch so they can purchase Christmas gifts for each other. Toward the end of the story, the reader finds out that Jim bought Della a comb for her hair and she bought him a fob chain for his watch.

Feigning Ignorance

When a writer uses Socratic irony in a work, he has a character act or look ignorant, naïve or incompetent to manipulate or trick another character. An individual may use this type of irony to add an element of satire to a work, shape a reader's opinion, or emphasize his own point of view. Mark Twain used Socratic irony in the novel "Pudd'nhead Wilson and Those Extraordinary Twins" to point out racism and unfair societal conventions. In the book, Roxy is a slave because she is one-sixteenth black. She guarantees an upper-class life for her son Chambers when she switches him with her master's child, who gets sold to a new slave owner. Roxy acts as a nanny to her son as he grows up, and her master never learns the truth about the true identities of the children.