English is a very complex language. In everyday life, you often hear unique words that have similar meanings to the terms you know. Most people believe that irony, Satire, and sarcasm are the same! Well, that’s not right because all three of these words have a different meaning. Indeed, English is more complicated than we thought.
This article will begin by giving you an introduction of these three words and then explain irony versus sarcasm, irony versus Satire, and Satire versus sarcasm.
1.Irony
Irony is a literary word that depicts a reality that is different from the situation. There are many types of irony. It is usually how the reader or listener interprets the difference between what should have happened and what actually happened. Different types and examples will give you a better understanding of the word ‘Irony.’
2.Verbal Irony
Verbal irony represents what is verbally said and what meaning has been derived from it.
Some examples are as follows. Let’s suppose one enters a child’s room which is quite messy and dirty, so he represents the irony by telling him that he has got a nice place to live. Another example is when someone describes a foolish person by calling him out as a genius.
3.Situational Irony
Situational irony is when something happens that is the exact opposite of what one expected or imagined. Some examples are as follows. For instance, a fire station gets lit up by the fire itself and burns.
This is situational irony as fire stations are meant to stop the fire. Another example can be a marriage counselor divorcing his second wife. His purpose is to bring other people together for marriage, but he ends up divorcing himself.
4.Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony is usually when a reader or a viewer knows the opposite of what the characters are supposed to be.
You will get a better understanding of this example. The play, Oedipus Rex (Sophocles), gives us a perfect example of dramatic irony. In the plot, Oedipus is searching throughout for a murderer who, in the end, turns out to be himself. Well, this is what a perfect dramatic irony is!
5.Satire
According to Oxford, Satire is defined as a way of criticizing a person, an idea, or an institution in which you use humor to show their faults or weaknesses; a piece of writing that uses this type of criticism.
Satire is a literary word that often gives a tone of amusement or scorn towards a socially flawed subject. It is often used for “social commentary” to create awareness of a situation.
Most commonly, Satire is used in political commentaries as a touch of fun and entertainment that can catch the audience’s attention and convey the message to the world. It is important as injustice and society issues are too critical to be confronted directly. So, comedy is always a great way to create awareness and entertainment at the same time.
6.Sarcasm
Oxford defines sarcasm as a way of using words that are the opposite of what you mean in order to be unpleasant to somebody or to make fun of them.
Sarcasm is a literary word that is usually an ironic remark covered in humor to mock or irritate someone. Sarcasm can convey a person’s frustration, anger, or disdain in a humorous and insulting way. When a person is using sarcasm or is being sarcastic, he says things that are opposite of the situation.
Some famous movies also use a sarcastic touch to catch the attention of the audience. Isaac from the movie “Fault in our stars” once used sarcasm by thanking the person for explaining to him that his eye cancer isn’t going to make him deaf and later called him an intellectual giant as well.
Likewise, Chandler Bing, from the famous series “Friends,” once said that he is glad to have a rehearsal dinner as he rarely practices meals before he eats.
So, what’s the difference?
Sometimes people describe a situation that is ironic with an expression of sarcasm and Satire. It is understood that it can get confusing at times to differentiate between these three words. Irony and sarcasm are somewhat more similar than the word satire, so you should first know about irony versus sarcasm.
Irony is often used to show amusement in a situation, whereas sarcasm is used to provoke and mock the situation. Irony can give a touch of humor and comedy, but it does not hurt or insult the sentiments of others, whereas sarcasm is the opposite!
It is used to make fun, insult, taunt a person or a situation as it mainly depicts frustration and irritation towards a particular circumstance. A few examples can help give you a better vision of irony versus sarcasm.
The Fight Between Irony and Sarcasm
The famous scientist Albert Einstein once said that the only thing interfering in his learning is his education. Since education is meant for learning and seeking knowledge, so the irony of this situation is accurate.
Once a Lady said to Churchill that if she were his wife, she would poison his tea. Churchill replied to this by saying that if he were her husband, then he would drink that tea.
These examples clearly explain the debate of irony versus sarcasm.
Satire – A mix of Irony and Sarcasm
Moreover, Satire is a combination of irony and sarcasm. It can give a tone of amusement and taunt at the same time. This expression explains a situation that provides awareness about a particular situation in a humorous and taunting way. People often get confused between Satire and parody, but they are not the same as Vladimir Nabokov once said that satire is a lesson whereas parody is a game.
Final Word
English can be complicated, but it is essential to learn the meaning of each expression or word. It gives you a sense of liberation when you can quickly disintegrate forms of expression!
You must remember that irony usually refers to a situation, whereas satire and sarcasm are two forms of expression. A wise man once said that People make satire and sarcasm happen. Irony is just there.