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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
9. The Pool of Thanatos
Explanation and Analysis—To Be or Not to Be:
In Chapter 9, after Kerans almost dies in the underwater planetarium, Beatrice insists that it can't have been a suicide attempt. Kerans and Strangman aren't so sure, and Strangman uses an allusion to comment on how delicious he finds the situation:
Strangman shrugged theatrically. ‘It might,’ he repeated with great emphasis. ‘Let’s admit that. It makes it more interesting—particularly for Kerans. ‘Did I or did I not try to kill myself?’ One of the few existential absolutes, far more significant than ‘To be or not to be?’, which merely underlines the uncertainty of the suicide, rather than the eternal ambivalence of his victim.’
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