Under which type of irony would you classify Josephine's fear that her sister will “make herself ill” by grieving alone in her room?
A. dramatic
B. verbal
C. none of the above
Ok this is the last one and I say C because she talks about being scared.
A. dramatic
It is A
The correct answer is A. dramatic irony.
To understand why, let's break down the different types of irony:
1. Situational irony: This occurs when there is a contradiction between what is expected to happen and what actually happens. In the given example, there is no explicit contradiction between Josephine's fear and her sister's well-being, so it is not situational irony.
2. Verbal irony: This occurs when a person says something that intentionally means the opposite of what they actually mean. In the given example, Josephine is expressing genuine concern for her sister's well-being, so it is not verbal irony.
3. Dramatic irony: This occurs when the audience or reader knows something that the characters do not, resulting in a contradiction between what the characters believe and what the audience knows to be true. In the given example, the reader knows that Josephine's fear is unfounded because her sister is actually rejoicing in her newfound freedom, yet Josephine still believes her sister is grieving. This creates a contradiction between Josephine's fear and the truth that the reader knows, making it a case of dramatic irony.
Therefore, the irony in Josephine's fear is classified as dramatic irony.