The Happy Prince
by Oscar Wilde

The Happy Prince: Irony 1 key example

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
Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Deceptive Appearances:

As is typical of Wilde’s style of writing, “The Happy Prince” is steeped in irony, with the story repeatedly flipping readers’ expectations. This irony is introduced immediately through the Happy Prince himself, who, despite his name and the townspeople's perception of him, is miserable. Although a mother scolds her son for crying by saying “the Happy Prince never dreams of crying for anything,” when the Swallow meets the Happy Prince there are “tears […] running down his golden cheeks.”