The Nightingale and the Rose
by Oscar Wilde

The Nightingale and the Rose: 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

Key Examples in The Nightingale and the Rose

Dramatic Irony
Explanation and Analysis—The Rationalist in Love:

There's a sense of irony at play in "The Nightingale and the Rose" that subverts the expectations of the fairy tale genre, thus providing a social commentary on the rationalist age in which Wilde lived.