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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
Key Examples in Piranesi
Part 1
Explanation and Analysis—Piranesi's Journal:
Piranesi relies heavily on dramatic irony to produce tension. One consistent source of irony is Piranesi's journal, which, unbeknownst to Piranesi, betrays several hints to the reader that the world of the House coexists with the real, contemporary world. Take, for example, this passage from Part 1 in which Piranesi discusses how he dates his journal entries:
Reading over what I have just written, I have realised something. I have used two systems to number the years. How could I not have noticed this before?
[...]
In accordance with the first system I have named two years 2011 and 2012. This strikes me as deeply pedestrian. [...] According to the second system I have given the years names like ‘The Year I named the Constellations’ and ‘The Year I counted and named the Dead’. I like this much more. It gives each year a character of its own. This is the system I shall use going forward.
Related Themes:
