The Crucibl

e:IronyAnna MacDonald

Avin Bommakanti

Colin Hogue

Bri Spencer

Dramatic Irony

The type of irony that is in a piece of writing

where the reader or audience knows what is

happening to the character(s) while another

character(s) doesn’t know what is happening.

Meaning, the words and actions of the characters

have a different meaning for the reader than they

do for the characters.

Examples

Romeo and Juliet: Romeo sees Juliet “dead” when

we, as the audience and readers, know that she is

under a sleeping potion.

In court, when Proctor confesses his affair,

Elizabeth doesn’t know he confessed it.

Situational Irony

refers to an occurrence that is contrary to what is

expected/intended

Examples

Proctor’s wife said she was pregnant; he said she

would never tell a lie; she lied to protect his name

(affair)

Proctor was trying to prove that the Circle girls

were pretending, & the Circle girls accused Mary

of witchcraft; Mary turned on Proctor and did the

same.

The play about Salem witch trials was written at

the same time as the Communist Hysteria.

Verbal

Irony Verbal irony is described as the contrast between

what is said and what is meant. Most sarcastic

comments are verbal irony.

Examples Spoken by Hale on page 131, “Why, it is all

simple. I come to do the Devil’s work. I come to

counsel Christians to belie themselves.”

“Nice one, Einstein.”

“ You’re a smart one.”

“ Way to go Sherlock.”

Another example is on page 119-120, when Proctor

is starting to break down,” Proctor, laughs insanely,

then: A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of

Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it is my face, and

yours, Danforth! For them that quail to bring men

out of ignorance, as I have quailed, and as you quail

now when you know in all your black hearts that this

be fraud-God damns our kind especially, and we will

burn, we will burn together!

Examples (continued)