Examples Of Dramatic Irony In A Midsummer Night's Dream

“O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent to set against me for your merriment,” cried

Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream when she thought her friends were pranking her, but the

readers knew that they were not (Shakespeare 3.2. 147-148). This is one example of the three

different types of irony. The first type of irony is dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is where the

readers, viewers or other characters know more about something than a certain character does.

The second type of irony is situational irony. Situational irony is where the opposite of what is

expected to happen, happens. The last type of irony is verbal irony. Verbal irony is where

someone says the opposite of what they mean. There are multiple examples of irony that occur in

the

play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The most common type of irony that occurs in the play is
dramatic irony.
One example of dramatic irony that occurs in the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream is
when Robin turned Bottom’s head into a head of an ass. This scene occurs in A Midsummer
Night’s Dream Act III, Scene 1. This example is dramatic irony because Bottom did not know he
had the head of an ass. In the play Bottom was waiting for his cue to walk back onto the stage
while rehearsing a play with his friends to put on for the Duke. Robin, who was wandering
around the area where Titania was sleeping, spotted Bottom. Robin saw this as a perfect
opportunity to create a beast for Titania to fall in love with. So, Robin turned Bottom’s head into
a head of an ass. Bottom did not know about what Robin did, so when he returned to his group of
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friends Bottom was offended and confused when his friends were scared of him and ran away
from him. Not only is this dramatic irony because Bottom did not know he had a head of an ass
and the readers and other characters knew, but what he said in reply to his friends was ironic.
Bottom said “You see an ass head of your own . . . ” (Shakespeare 3.1. 56). Bottom also said
“...This is to make an ass of me . . . ” (Shakespeare 3.1. 58). What Bottom said was dramatic
irony because he called his friends asses and said how they were making an ass of him while he
had no clue he had an ass head. This scene is dramatic irony because the readers, his friends, and
Robin all know Bottom had an ass head, but he did not know. The irony in this scene helped
create humor for the readers and viewers because Bottom having an ass head is funny and the
fact that he called his friends asses while he had an ass head of his own. In my opinion, this is the
best example of dramatic irony in the play because of the humor it created for the readers.
Another example of dramatic irony occurs when Helena thought her friends were
pranking her and making fun of her. This occurs in A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act III, Scene
2. In the play Helena thought Lysander, Demetrius, and Hermia were pranking her when both
Lysander and Demetrius confessed their love and Hermia was mad at Helena for stealing
Demetrius’s love. Helena thought she was being pranked because she is used to people making
fun of her and she is used to Demetrius and Lysander hating her. This is dramatic irony because
Demetrius, Lysander, Hermia, and the readers all know that they are not pranking her but Helena
does not. Demetrius and Lysander used to not be in love with Helena, but when Robin puts the
magic flower juice on their eyes they fell in love with Helena. Even though Helena wanted
Demetrius’s love, she did not believe him or Lysander because of the sudden change of hate to
love. After both Lysander and Demetrius confessed their love, Helena said “Never did mockers
waste more ideal breathe” (Shakespeare 3.2. 170). This scene helped build tension because the
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readers are left wondering if Lysander and Hermia will ever end up back together and if Helena
and Demetrius will end up together. This scene is an example of dramatic irony because Helena
thought Lysander, Demetrius, and Hermia were pranking her, but they were not because
Lysander and Demetrius were in love with Helena due to the magical flower which the readers
knew about. Overall, this example of dramatic irony helped create tension and left the readers
wondering about what is going to happen next.
The last example of dramatic irony is when Robin puts the magic flower juice in
Lysander's eyes. Oberon, the king of fairies, Ordered Robin to put the Juice in Demetrius's eyes.
Oberon told Robin that he would recognize him by his Athenian clothing. So, Robin wandered
off into the woods looking for an Athenian man. After awhile, Robin came across Lysander, who
is an Athenian man who is wearing Athenian clothing. Robin, who thought Lysander was
Demetrius, put the magic flower juice in Lysander’s eyes. Later, when Oberon asked if Robin
had put the flower juice in Demetrius’s eyes, Robin replies “ I took him sleeping-that is finished
too . . . “ ( Shakespeare 3.2. 35-38 ). Robin said this thinking he put the juice in Demetrius’s
eyes, but he actually put it in Lysander’s eyes.

This scene is dramatic irony because the readers

know he put the Juice in Lysander’s eyes, but Robin did not, he thought he put the juice in

Demetrius’s eyes. This scene helped create tension in the play because the readers knew it was

the wrong person and are now left wondering who Lysander will fall in love with when he wakes

up. Overall, this scene helped create tension for the readers, and is the last example of dramatic

irony in the play.

The dramatic irony in A Midsummer Night’s Dream helped create humor and helped

create tension for the readers throughout the play. Dramatic irony occurs in the play multiple

times. One example is when Bottom’s head got turned into an ass’s head without him realizing it.

Another example is when Helena thought Lysander, Demetrius, and Hermia were all pranking

her and lying to her when both Demetrius and Lysander confessed their love out of nowhere and

Hermia got angry because Helena stole Lysander’s love. The last example is when Robin thought

he put the flower juice into Demetrius’s eyes, but he actually put the juice in Lysander’s eyes. In

conclusion, the irony throughout this play helped create humor and create drama and tension for

the

readers.