Previous
Similes
Key Examples in The Fisherman and His Soul
Situational Irony
Explanation and Analysis—The Soul Corrupts the Man:
In a key example of situational irony in the story, the Fisherman’s own soul corrupts him. This is ironic because, as Wilde knew, most people associate the human soul with purity and goodness. Even when a person behaves cruelly, it is assumed that their “soul” is still pure. Wilde challenges this idea by having the Soul ironically act as the force of evil in the story.
The irony comes across in the following passage, in which the Fisherman expresses confusion at who the Soul has become in the three years that they were apart:
And after that they had gone a league from the city the young Fisherman grew wroth, and said to his Soul, “Why didst thou tell me to smite the child, for it was an evil thing to do?”
Related Themes:
