Dramatic Irony In Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes

In “Something Wicked This Way Comes” Ray Bradbury uses dramatic irony to explain Charles Halloway. Halloway says “I don't need… but someone inside me does.” (Bradbury 19) This is dramatic irony because Charles’ thoughts later explained what he meant by what he said. The author presents Charles’ past like this to add effect to the story to make it more captivating. He also did this to develop the character Charles. Another example of dramatic irony for Charles is “Charles Halloway suppressed… make the pack” (17). This example is dramatic irony because the audience knows Mr. Halloway despises being old as expressed throughout the book. However, on some occasions other characters do become aware of the this. It is most likely that he hates being old because it makes him

feel disconnected from his son. The final example is “Halloway felt his heart pound one special time” (26). This example of dramatic irony come from the whole situation Charles is in. He faced temptation and resisted it, and no one knew about this encounter besides himself and the audience. He most likely resisted this temptation to keep from feeding his other “personality”.
In “Something Wicked This Way Comes” Ray Bradbury uses situational irony to develop Charles Halloway.

The first example of this is “One of those pictures… a blinding ache struck Jim’s head” (175). The irony here is situational because in the dilemma, Charles is trying to mislead Mr. Dark away from the boy trying to keep them safe. However, Mr. Dark ends up hurting them supernaturally making the outcome outcome of the conflict the complete opposite of what Charles wanted. In the next example Charles says, “I'm not going to murder you…” (274). This is situational irony because Charles says he isn't going to kill Mr. Dark, but ends up doing it. Charles says this most likely in truth because of his current state in the conflict a smushed up hand and out past curfew. In the last example Charles challenges Mr. Dark, “Halloway, work in the library, drop by sometime” (180). This final example is situational irony because Charles is confronting Dark thinking he could beat him, but ultimately gets beat up himself. It is most likely he did this to stop running and try to put a stop to everything before things get worse. Dramatic and situational irony are ways Ray Bradbury developed Charles

Halloway.