Essay on Dramatic Irony in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare uses irony to great effect in his many plays, specifically dramatic irony, and some cosmic irony, in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. But why does he use it? What is he trying to achieve or portray? It varies throughout the play, but there are general trends as the story develops. In the beginning we see that it is almost comical uses. The irony then develops into more interesting and intriguing uses meant to keep the audience, especially the groundlings, interested and wanting more. And then finally, he uses dramatic irony to point out some of the reasons why this is a tragedy during and before the climax. In the beginning you see irony without much apparent consequence, which can be seen as amusing in some views and†¦show more content†¦The reader/Audience member can see that the purpose of the irony has shifted from comical to more grave and intriguing, trying to draw the reader in and with light foreshadowing want to know how this great tragedy will end. While leading up to the climax, the story gets increasingly ironic and tragic. Juliet is seen as dead, although Shakespeare has shown us earlier that she will reawake in two days, this particular piece of dramatic irony leads to the rest. Romeo, unaware of this plan due to a bit of cosmic irony, rides back to Verona, after hearing news of Juliet?s ?death.? When he gets there, confronted by Paris who believes he is trying to do some evil from hate, not there for love, he is forced to kill Paris who we realize has true unrequited love for Juliet. And in the end Romeo believing that Juliet is truly dead gives a ?kiss of death? and drinks the poison, believing he will finally be able to meet with Juliet in peace. In these last two acts a combination of dramatic and cosmic irony lead to the loss of Juliet?s, Romeo?s, and Paris?s life. The Irony also portrays the obliviousness and rashness of Romeo, he gets there and finds that Juliet looks and feels alive and warm after being ?dea d? for nearly two days, yetShow MoreRelatedEssay about Dramatic Irony in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet877 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragic story about two lovers who are from two disputing families, and their eventual suicides. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony throughout the play to create tension for the audience and foreshadow the ending. Dramatic irony is when the words or actions of characters in a story have a different meaning to the reader than to the characters. This is because the reader knows something that the characters do not. 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