Margaret Atwood once said, “An eye for an eye only leads to more blindness.” When people decide to use vengeance, it often can destroy a person's life. Most people who try to avenge themselves usually end up all corrupted and horrible because they get too caught up in their vengeance plan. In the Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas uses irony and foreshadowing to convey a theme of vengeance. For example, in The Count of Monte Cristo, the author uses irony to show how devastating vengeance can be and how blind vengeance can make you, especially if taken too far. The Count is a man who is playing the role of God, And part of his vengeance plan is to emotionally hurt Monsieur de Villefort. There is a murderer in his house who is poisoning a
It is often said that irony is the vital literary element to a story because it gives the story character. Whether it changes the mood, creates suspense, adds foreshadowing, engages the reader or something else, irony can do many things for a story.
Irony can be hard to understand but George Orwell uses it understanbly. He writes, “I was very glad that coolie had been killed; it put me in right and it gave me a sufficient pretext for shooting the elephant."(Page 5) The elephant's killing
Irony is a useful device for giving stories many unexpected twists and turns. In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," irony is used as an effective literary device. Situational irony is used to show the reader that what is expected to happen sometimes doesn't. Dramatic irony is used to clue the reader in on something that is happening that the characters in the story do not know about. Irony is used throughout Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" through the use of situational irony and the use of dramatic irony.
There are many more examples that use dramatic irony to further support the theme and prompt of revenge. “I hate the moor...will do as if for surety” (pg. 55). This is one of the reasons that Iago gives for justifying his revenge against Othello. Another example, is when Emilia believes that somebody is telling Othello lies about Desdemona. “The Moor’s abused...scurvy fellow” (pg.203). Emilia wants to get revenge on who may be telling lies to Othello about Desdemona. Which is ironic because, it is her own husband. Lastly, “I kissed thee ere I killed thee...to die upon a kiss” (pg.265). Othello obtained revenge for killing his wife
Dramatic irony is used to show the contrast of the views of the audience and townspeople. The use of dramatic irony creates suspense and foreshadows the future developments of characters developments and plot because Chillingworth is the true evil in the novel, but in the
Irony is when something happens that is the complete opposite of what you expect. It can keep readers intrigued by the story because they won’t know what to expect next in the story, and sometimes it can make the story funnier. O. Henry makes it his specialty to use irony in these ways to keep readers interested in his stories and always wanting to know what happens next. O. Henry’s use of irony creates a surprise for the readers and brings humor to his stories such as The Ransom of Red Chief, A Retrieved Reformation, and After Twenty Years. In The Ransom of Red Chief, O. Henry uses irony to bring humor to the story.
One example of this includes, “I drink,” he said, “to the buried that repose around us.” “And I to your long life.” (146). In "The Cask of Amontillado," irony is showcased through the seemingly friendly interactions between Montresor and Fortunato, masking Montresor's vengeful intentions. This use of irony highlights the corrupt nature of human actions and the repercussions they must face.
Irony is most commonly used in dialogue to express sarcasm and humor, however it can also be applied to add depth to literature. Mary Shelley employs irony in Frankenstein to emphasize the truth and prompt her readers to question pivotal concepts. Her use of irony does not intended for humor, but instead, she utilizes ironic devices to enhance her overall themes and convey the unpredictable consequences of actions.
In the book Hamlet by Shakespeare, irony is used numerous times in order to give the reader insight on what is going on. As stated in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, irony is an action that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play. If this strategy were not included in this drama, it would take away the whole purpose. This play would consist of no suspense and would be extremely boring to the reader because the characters would know as much as the readers know. This allows for incite to what can happen in the future or what has happened in the past. The irony in this play ultimately revolves around Hamlet and his plan to achieve revenge with Claudius. From the play that Hamlet organizes
Irony is often used to expand upon the themes in a play - in Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern demonstrate the importance of agency, while Shakespeare uses irony in Macbeth to display how power corrupts one’s logic.
Everyone has a thirst for vengeance but, rarely, is revenge ever sweet. “The old law “an eye for an eye” leaves everybody blind,” Martin Luther King Jr. (“Revenge and the People Who Seek It”). After reading The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, both published in the 1800s, it’s obvious that revenge is a major, consistent theme in both books. Although revenge is glamorized and encouraged in literature, such as The Count of Monte Cristo and Frankenstein, pop culture, and society, it is never morally justified and it causes collateral damage.
Furthermore, writers will also use irony to protest the negative effects of war. An example of how irony is used can be found in the poem War is Kind. In the poem by Crane, he states “Do not weep babe, for war is kind. Because your father tumbles in the yellow trenches, raged at his breast gulped and died.[Crane}”. The reason this is ironic is because he is trying to consolidate the baby/child who has lost his father by saying “war is kind[Crane]”, but he later describes his father's death going against his saying of “war is kind[Crane]”.
A Chinese Proverb once said, “He who seeks vengeance must dig up two graves; one for his enemy and one for himself,” this shows how if one takes revenge they could end up hurting themselves as well, such as Edmond Dantes did in Alexandre Dumas’ novel, The Count of the Monte Cristo. In the novel, Edmond Dantes is wrongly convicted and imprisoned because of others’ greed and egocentric minds. Edmond’s view on justice is to punish those who did unjust actions to him. He is successful to a point, but in his search for justice he hurts the innocent along the way, and demolishes a piece of himself. Dantes’ search for justice is significant for it confirms the theme that vengeance shouldn't become an obsession.
The examples of irony were used to convey Montresor’s wrongdoing but also undermining his seek for retribution. Poe used dramatic, situational, and verbal irony to create images and meaning into readers mind. He helped create meaning through the story by helping us know more about what was happening than the characters by seeing their other sides and their dreams and passions. By using these three types of irony, it helped make the story more interesting and helped the readers see things in different perspectives. For example, in dramatic irony it creates suspense and foreshadowing for the readers. It also relates to a story or situation that the reader may be familiar with or that they will understand in a much better way. Basically, irony causes the readers to expect the unexpected, and shocks the readers and makes the plot more gripping and
In terms of Pride and Prejudice, Austen used irony quite often. Irony is an perfect way for authors to combine wit and drama at the same time. In Pride and Prejudice, irony can be found for example in the gradual revelation of Darcy and Elizabeth’s feelings for each other or, most notably, ironical is the fact that pride leads to prejudice and prejudice invites pride.