The Necklace
by Guy de Maupassant

The Necklace: Dramatic Irony 1 key example

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
Dramatic Irony
Explanation and Analysis—Belle of the Ball:

The key moment of dramatic irony in the story is the ball, in which the reader knows that Mathilde has dressed up in imitation of a wealthy woman, when she in fact is not. This fact is known to the reader, though not to the other characters in the scene:

Madame Loisel was a grand success. She was lovelier than any other woman […]. All the men gazed at her, asked for her name, and tried to get introduced. All the cabinet attachés wanted to waltz with her. The minister noticed her.