What term describes when the reader knows something the characters do not?

What term describes when the reader knows something the characters do not?

• A. Dramatic Irony
• B. Verbal Irony
• C. Situational Irony
• D. Irony of Fate

Answer: (A)

Dramatic irony is when the reader or audience knows something crucial that the characters do not realize. This gap in knowledge creates tension and anticipation because we understand the implications of actions or plans before the characters do. In the question, it fits the situation where the reader is privy to information that the characters lack, which is the defining feature of dramatic irony. Verbal irony focuses on what someone says vs. what they mean, not on a knowledge gap between reader and character. Situational irony centers on an outcome unexpectedly different from what is anticipated, and irony of fate involves events shaped by fate rather than the reader’s superior knowledge.

Dramatic irony is when the reader or audience knows something crucial that the characters do not realize. This gap in knowledge creates tension and anticipation because we understand the implications of actions or plans before the characters do. In the question, it fits the situation where the reader is privy to information that the characters lack, which is the defining feature of dramatic irony. Verbal irony focuses on what someone says vs. what they mean, not on a knowledge gap between reader and character. Situational irony centers on an outcome unexpectedly different from what is anticipated, and irony of fate involves events shaped by fate rather than the reader’s superior knowledge.