Which form of irony arises when the audience knows more than the characters?

• A. Dramatic irony
• B. Irony
• C. Verbal irony
• D. Motif

Answer: (A)

Dramatic irony happens when the audience has more information than the characters. That knowledge gap lets us see consequences or meaning in a scene that the characters don’t grasp, so what we expect to happen can be very different from what the characters believe. This tension can heighten suspense or tragedy because we anticipate outcomes the characters are unaware of. For example, in a story where the audience knows the villain is hiding in the room while the protagonist trusts the room to be safe, our sense of danger is stronger than the character’s. This contrasts with verbal irony, where what someone says means the opposite, or with motif, which is just a recurring element, not a stakes-raising knowledge gap.