Question

What is dramatic irony?
• when the reader knows something that the characters do not know
when characters say the opposite of what they really mean for effect
when two characters are experiencing something similar but doing so separately
• when a character knows something another character does not know

Answer 1

Correct answer: "when the reader (or audience) knows something that the characters do not know."

Explanation: Dramatic irony happens when the audience has information that one or more characters lack, creating tension or poignancy as we watch the characters act without that knowledge. Example: in Romeo and Juliet the audience knows Juliet has faked her death before Romeo finds her—so his reaction is tragically ironic.

Notes on the other choices:
- "when characters say the opposite of what they really mean for effect" = verbal irony (or sarcasm).
- "when two characters are experiencing something similar but doing so separately" is not a standard type of irony.
- "when a character knows something another character does not know" describes unequal knowledge between characters but is not the classic definition of dramatic irony unless the audience also shares the extra knowledge.