Examples Of Irony In The Crucible

First off, what is irony? Many people are under the impression that irony is just when something happens that you don't expect (or that you really hoped wouldn't happen). In reality, true irony only happens when a situation is the exact opposite of what you would expect. Irony abounds throughout The Crucible as characters who believe they are combating the Devil’s handiwork actually perform it themselves. There are several ironies in Act 1 that center around Abigail Williams. In her conversation with John, Abigail claims that he helped her realize all the lies she was told by two-faced people in Salem who only publicly adhere to the conventions of respectable society (pg. 22). The irony is that, in the face of John’s rejection, Abigail turns

around and creates her own lies soon after that give her increased control over the society she resents. She puts on a fake front to get what she wants, ultimately creating a persona that’s even worse than that of the hypocrites she criticizes. Abigail’s many deceptions are sometimes laughably ironic as she chastises others for lying even as she is spinning falsehoods. In this act, she yells “Don’t lie!” at Tituba immediately before she tells some of the most damning lies of the play accusing Tituba of witchcraft“She comes to me while I sleep; she’s always making me dream corruptions!” (Miller 41). Hale also makes some unintentionally ironic statements in Act 1 when he begins his investigation. He claims that they must not jump to conclusions based on superstition in their investigation of Betty’s affliction. Hale is convinced that a scientific inquiry based only on facts and reality can be conducted to detect a supernatural presence. This is ironic because searching for "the Devil's marks" as the potential cause of an ailment is inherently superstitious.