Irony A special kind of contrast between appearance and reality – usually one in which reality is the opposite of what it seems.

Situational Irony A contrast between what a reader or character expects and what actually exists or happens.

Dramatic Irony When the audience knows more than the characters, so that words and action have additional meaning for the audience    

Verbal Irony

When something is said that is interpreted exactly opposite of its intent Often relies on

ambiguity (meaning a word can be interpreted at least 2 different ways)

Sarcasm falls under the category of verbal irony

By Liam O’Flaherty

The Sniper was first published in 1923.

Born in 1896 in Inishmore, Ireland

Died in 1984 in Dublin, Ireland

Suffered from mental illness which some speculate developed from his serving in WWI.

Ireland is a country located within the continent of Europe.

Many Irish were not happy with the British rule of their country. Britain proposed splitting Ireland. Most of the island became the Republic of Ireland.

There were two sides involved in the fighting:

• the IRA (Irish Republican Army – wanted independence from England)

• the Irish Free Staters (wanted Ireland to govern itself but still remain in the British Empire)