Writing 101 What Is Dramatic Irony Literary Device Definition, Examples, and Tips for Employing Dramatic Irony in Writing

Remember the first time you read or watched Romeo and Juliet? The tragic ending of this iconic story is an embodiment of dramatic irony: The audience knows that the lovers are each alive, but neither of the lovers knows that the other is still alive. Each drink their poison without knowing what the audience knows. Dramatic irony is used to great effect in literature, film, and television.