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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
Induction, Scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—Sly's Ignorance:
The majority of the Induction, Scene 2 utilizes dramatic irony, capitalizing on the audience's knowledge of the lord's prank, and Christopher Sly's lack thereof, to generate humor. In the following passage, for instance, the lord joins in with his servants, offering a wide array of luxuries to Sly, who awakens confused:
LORD: We’ll show thee Io as she was a maid
And how she was beguileèd and surprised,
As lively painted as the deed was done.
The lord alludes to Io, whom the Greek god Zeus tricked and seduced. Only after Io refused Zeus's advances time and again did he turn into a storm cloud, surround her, and make love to her (consent being questionable). With the help of dramatic irony, the lord's allusion to this mythological story becomes humorous—clearly, in this scenario, Sly himself is being tricked and seduced, albeit by wealth instead of sex. The situation is made even more humorous through comparison: clearly, Sly does not take as long as Io did to give in (or simply stop resisting) seduction. In fact, after only a few queries to the effect of "who am I" and "where am I," Sly simply accepts his newfound wealth and settles into his role with a great deal of presumption.
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