Irony In the Pardoners Tale
Irony in “The Pardoners Tale”
Irony is a literary technique characterized by a contrast between what is written and what is to be understood by the reader. There are three types of literary irony; verbal, dramatic, and situational. In Jeffery Chaucer uses all three types of literary irony in “The Pardoners Tale.”
Verbal Irony is a device used to convey a contrast between what is said and what is meant. There are a few examples of verbal irony in “The Pardoners Tale.” For example, one of the rioters assured the others that he could “trust [him]” because he “won’t betray [him].” In reality the man asking for his companions trust plans on killing the others and taking the treasure for himself. The old man claims that claims that they “will find death under [the] tree.” When the men arrive at the tree they find gold coins instead of a physical manifestation of death. Finally, when returning to the town he asks the chemist for “poison” to “kill rats.” The younger man plans on using the poison on his brothers, who are like rats because they too plan on acting in greed. These examples show how verbal irony can be used to give ulterior meaning.
Dramatic irony a situation in which the reader realizes something that the characters in the story are not aware of. There are several examples of dramatic irony in “The Pardoners Tale.” The younger brother asks the town’s chemist for “poison to kill rats.” The reader understands that the man intends to use it on his brothers, however the chemist believes it is really for rats. When the younger brother comes back from the town the older two “welcome [their] brother.” Although the younger brother believes that he is welcome, it is apparent to the reader that they both plan on killing him. The brothers make a “celebratory toast” after killing the younger man. The reader knows that the wine has been poisoned by the younger, but the other two men have no way of knowing that. These examples show the irony of the reader knowing
Irony is a literary technique characterized by a contrast between what is written and what is to be understood by the reader. There are three types of literary irony; verbal, dramatic, and situational. In Jeffery Chaucer uses all three types of literary irony in “The Pardoners Tale.”
Verbal Irony is a device used to convey a contrast between what is said and what is meant. There are a few examples of verbal irony in “The Pardoners Tale.” For example, one of the rioters assured the others that he could “trust [him]” because he “won’t betray [him].” In reality the man asking for his companions trust plans on killing the others and taking the treasure for himself. The old man claims that claims that they “will find death under [the] tree.” When the men arrive at the tree they find gold coins instead of a physical manifestation of death. Finally, when returning to the town he asks the chemist for “poison” to “kill rats.” The younger man plans on using the poison on his brothers, who are like rats because they too plan on acting in greed. These examples show how verbal irony can be used to give ulterior meaning.
Dramatic irony a situation in which the reader realizes something that the characters in the story are not aware of. There are several examples of dramatic irony in “The Pardoners Tale.” The younger brother asks the town’s chemist for “poison to kill rats.” The reader understands that the man intends to use it on his brothers, however the chemist believes it is really for rats. When the younger brother comes back from the town the older two “welcome [their] brother.” Although the younger brother believes that he is welcome, it is apparent to the reader that they both plan on killing him. The brothers make a “celebratory toast” after killing the younger man. The reader knows that the wine has been poisoned by the younger, but the other two men have no way of knowing that. These examples show the irony of the reader knowing