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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
Act 1, scene 2
Explanation and Analysis—The Role of Language:
Language is a prominent motif in The Tempest. In Act 1, Scene 2, Caliban curses Prospero for teaching him his language:
You taught me language; and my profit on't
Is, I know how to curse. The red plague rid you
For learning me your language!
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—The Tempest:
The Tempest contains many moments of dramatic irony. For instance, many characters believe that others died in the storm, but the audience knows otherwise. Ferdinand and Alonso each believe the other has died in the tempest, and Alonso even threatens to drown himself in his grief. But the audience remains aware that everyone is alive and well despite dark thoughts and attempted murder plots, which deepen the drama without changing the fact that the play is, essentially, a comedy. This foreshadows the play's peaceful resolution; the audience gets the sense that conflicts will be resolved as they arise.
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