Which of the following is an example of dramatic irony?

Which of the following is an example of dramatic irony?

A. The characters are purposely hiding important factors from the audience.

B. The characters say the exact opposite of what they really mean.

C. The audience is more concerned about the characters sinning than falling in love.

D. A knight swears loyalty to a newly appointed king, but the audience knows the knight plans to betray the king once he takes the throne.

Answer: D. A knight swears loyalty to a newly appointed king, but the audience knows the knight plans to betray the king once he takes the throne.

The characters being unaware of the informations that the audiences or the readers possess is the source of dramatic irony. In this case, the viewers know that the knight is secretly up to no good and has vowed to the king in nothing but deceit, but the king himself is completely unaware. The audience’s familiarity with the knight’s actual intentions induces an intrinsic tension, because the audience is aware of some facts which characters still remain unaware of. This vagueness between the viewers’ knowledge and the characters’ actions or dialogues is the advantage of dramatic irony, which raises the dramatic effect and susceptance to the story.