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Definition of Irony
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how... read full definition
Key Examples in The Adventure of the Speckled Band
Irony
Explanation and Analysis—A Perfect Day:
During the train journey from Sherlock's office to the manor at Stoke Moran, Watson is struck by the jarring contrast between the beautiful weather on the one hand, and the sinister murder that he is investigating on the other. Here, situational irony heightens the ominous mood of the story. Watson describes the weather as follows:
It was a perfect day, with a bright sun and a few fleecy clouds in the heavens. The trees and wayside hedges were just throwing out their first green shoots, and the air was full of the pleasant smell of the moist earth. To me at least there was a strange contrast between the sweet promise of the spring and this sinister quest upon which we were engaged.
Explanation and Analysis—An Excellent Argument:
Through Sherlock's use of verbal irony, the story reveals his dry wit. Faced with the threat of Roylott retaliating against Sherlock and Watson for meddling in his affairs, Sherlock tells his companion:
Unlock with LitCharts A+I should be very much obliged if you would slip your revolver into your pocket. An Eley's No. 2 is an excellent argument with gentlemen who can twist steel pokers in knots. That and a toothbrush are, I think, all we need.
