Which specific form of irony occurs when the outcome is opposite to what a character expects?

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

Answer: (A)

Situational irony happens when the actual result of a situation is the opposite of what a character expects. The twist comes from that mismatch between what a person plans or anticipates and what actually occurs. A classic example is a fire station burning down—the very place built to fight fires ends up afflicted by one, which creates that counterintuitive reversal readers notice and remember. This differs from verbal irony, where someone means the opposite of what they say, and from dramatic irony, where the audience knows something the characters do not. The essence here is the unexpected outcome that defeats the characters’ expectations.