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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
Chapter 33
Explanation and Analysis—Odysseus's Fame:
In Chapter 33, Odysseus speaks with Pyrrhus, making a tongue-in-cheek reference to their relative longevity in cultural memory. This is a moment of dramatic irony for readers, many of whom know of Odysseus—even if they are not familiar with the details of his story.
"[F]ame is a strange thing. Some men gain glory after they die, while others fade. What is admired in one generation is abhorred in another.” He spread his broad hands. “We cannot say who will survive the holocaust of memory. Who knows?” He smiles. “Perhaps one day even I will be famous. Perhaps more famous than you.”
Odysseus's fame comes from his canonization in Homer's famous epics The Iliad and The Odyssey. The Iliad, much like The Song of Achilles, details the events of the Trojan War. In The Iliad, Homer sets up Odysseus’s character as one among many; in The Odyssey, Odysseus becomes the protagonist.
In the above excerpt from Chapter 33, Odysseus implies not only that he will “survive the holocaust of memory” over and above Pyrrhus, but that his character traits will receive greater admiration from future generations. This prediction does hold true to a great extent: Odysseus’s cleverness is storied, whereas Pyrrhus’s bravery and fierceness in battle are only a footnote in the historical record.
Related Themes:
