Get Even More Visitors To Your Blog, Upgrade To A Business Listing >>

What is Tragic Irony? Definition, Examples & How To Use It

I’m sure you have heard of the term “ironic” before, but do you know what it really means?

The Irony is defined as the use of words to express something other than their literal meaning.

Are you looking for a new way to sound smart? You’re in luck because this article has a ton of information and examples that will teach you how to recognize when language is being used ironically!

American English is one of the many dialects of the English language with a long and rich history.

It has evolved over time, undergoing major changes in sound, vocabulary, spelling, syntax and punctuation.

For example, “ain’t” was used as an abbreviation for “am not.” This word has been stigmatized by the English Language Arts curriculum in recent years because it doesn’t follow basic grammar rules.

However, using this word correctly can be seen as a way to take part in cultural satire.

In some cases, using incorrect grammar could be viewed as a form of protest against what society deems correct or wrong based on arbitrary standards.

TRAGIC IRONY

What Is Tragic Irony?

Tragic irony is the contrast between what might be expected and what actually occurs.

It can also refer to a situation in which someone says something but means its opposite, or when an event turns out very differently from how it was anticipated.

A tragic irony is often found in literature as well as life because of the unexpected twists that happen; there are many examples of this type of irony.

For example, in Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar,” Brutus believes he has committed suicide by killing his friend Caesar, but instead, it’s revealed at the end that he had been killed by one of his fellow conspirators.

Tragic Irony In British English

Tragic Irony is a term that refers to the sad coincidence of an event happening in a way that contrasts with what was expected.

The irony comes from the contrast between the expectation and reality, making it seem like fate has played a cruel joke on someone.

Today we are going to talk about how this type of irony plays out in British English.

The irony of the British English language is that it has a lot of words for ‘sadness’.

There are the obvious ones, such as “dejected” or “grief-stricken”.

But there are also less common ones like “disconsolate”, which means to be so unhappy and without hope. It’s no surprise that these words exist because Britain was a kingdom with many wars and conflicts throughout its history.

The word irony is defined by Oxford Dictionary as “the use of words to express something other than their literal meaning.”

However, the term has shifted in recent years to refer exclusively to a tragic outcome, especially one implying an undeserved misfortune or fate. In this blog post, we will explore how British English uses different terms for ironic situations and what they mean.

We’ll also take a look at how these differences are reflected in popular culture- from Shakespeare’s famous play Romeo and Juliet to modern-day movies like The Shawshank Redemption and Pretty Woman.

In the British English language, there is a tragic irony of words and phrases. For example, in England, it’s common to hear someone say “I’m going to take my time.”

This statement can be interpreted two ways as either an expression of taking your time or slowing down because you are running late.

However, if they were being honest and this was their actual meaning then they would have said “I’m going to slow down.”

The meaning is lost when translated into American English which uses “slow” instead of “take one’s time”.

Examples Of ‘Tragic Irony’ In A Sentence

The sentence “I told you I would be right back” may seem ironic if somebody was killed on their way to return.

Tragic words can also have tragic implications, such as “It’s all over now” said just before an individual commits suicide.

A tragic irony is when there is a huge difference between the outcome of an event and what was expected.

A good example of this would be when a person wins the lottery but dies before they can collect their prize.

This is because their death means that now they will never have to spend any money on anything ever again, so it’s pretty ironic that they were about to get rich from winning the lottery.

The irony is the contrast between what one expects and what actually happens. If you’re looking for examples of ‘tragic irony’ in a sentence, try these:

The person who has everything dies from hunger” or “A man goes to an emergency room with chest pains and is told that he doesn’t have any.”

A tragic irony can also be two simultaneous events that are not related but coincidental- like when a plane crashes on its maiden voyage. This type of event would be called paradoxical or sardonic humour.

Origin Of Tragic Irony

The origin of this word is still debated by scholars but one theory suggests it comes from Greek mythology were two gods, Zeus and Hermes, were having an argument about who created man out of clay.

Zeus claimed responsibility for creating man while Hermes insisted that he had done so without knowing his brother’s plans.

As they argued back-and-forth, their words became mixed up giving birth to irony as we know it today according to Plato in his dialogue titled ”

Although different sources claim that irony comes from various places such as ancient Greek theatre or even from the story of Odysseus’s return home after his victory over Troy which was told through Homer’s The Odyssey, most scholars agree that its origins come from Aristotle’s Poetics where he defines tragedy as having two types: “A tragic” and “Clyptic.”

One of the first known instance is in Sophocles’ play “Oedipus Rex”.

In this story, Oedipus mistakenly kills his father, Laius, and marries his mother, Jocasta. When he learns what happened from the Oracle at Delphi he tries to avoid fulfilling it by leaving Corinth.

Irony is a literary device that often causes readers to feel something other than the intended emotion.

In some cases, it can be used to convey an entirely different meaning from what was expected or desired.

It generally arises when there is a discrepancy between the literal and figurative meanings of a situation.

Example Sentences From The Web For Tragic Irony

In Shakespeare’s Romeo And Juliet for example, there is tragic irony when Mercutio says “A plague o’ both your houses! I am sped.”

This line was ironic because he had just been fatally wounded by Tybalt who was trying to kill Romeo;

Mercutio would die before either protagonist could return his favor by killing him with poison as planned.

A tragic irony is when there is a negative consequence to an event that also has positive consequences. Below are some examples of tragic ironies:

  • A person survives cancer only to die as they wait for a heart transplant because their donor died on the operating table;
  • The protagonist spends years trying to get rich by robbing people but dies without any money after being robbed himself;
  • A person who was abused as a child becomes an abusive parent themselves, continuing the cycle.

Trends Of Use Of Tragic Irony

In the past, it was used as a tool to educate and inform on topics that were controversial or difficult to discuss.

But today, we see tragic irony being used in popular culture more often than ever.

It can be difficult for the person experiencing this kind of irony to see what’s good about it because they’re so focused on the negative aspects.

For example, if you were diagnosed with cancer and instead of feeling sorry for yourself, you thanked God because your life-long dream was to become a doctor and now you could do just that.

Some examples of tragic irony are:

1. Oedipus gets on the bus with his eyes closed, unaware he has killed his father and married his mother in ignorance;

2. Macbeth kills Duncan because he expects Duncan will give him greater power but instead becomes king himself after killing Duncan;

3. Romeo and Juliet commit suicide because they believe their love can never be together due to family feuds between themselves.

Words That Begin Like Tragic Irony

What is the difference between a tragic irony and an ironic tragedy? While they seem to be interchangeable, it’s important to know that there are two different meanings.

A tragic irony is when something bad happens but you can see why it had to happen because of some other event or circumstance.

An ironic tragedy has no justification for the bad thing happening and this leads us to feel sorry for those involved in the story.

One example of a tragic irony would be if your best friend decided not to go with you on vacation, but then got into a car accident while driving home from work.

The reason we say this was a “tragic irony” is that you could see how your friend’s decision led him right into an unfortunate situation where he ended up.

What are words that begin like tragic irony? The word ‘tragic’ is a word that often refers to something bad happening, and the word ‘irony’ is when things happen in a way that makes little sense.

So, if you find yourself saying “that’s such a tragedy” or “it’s ironic this happened,” then you are using an expression with two meanings of words.

Irony is one of the most interesting words that start with “tragic.” It’s used to describe an event or situation in which what happens, though not planned, seems fitting.

The post What is Tragic Irony? Definition, Examples & How To Use It appeared first on Filmmaking Lifestyle.



This post first appeared on Filmmaking Lifestyle, please read the originial post: here

Share the post

What is Tragic Irony? Definition, Examples & How To Use It

×

Subscribe to Filmmaking Lifestyle

Get updates delivered right to your inbox!

Thank you for your subscription

×