Dramatic Devices

Dramatic Irony

Dramatic irony is a form of contrast. Often it happens that what is said on the stage has one meaning for the characters concerned and another for the spectators about the characters which the characters do not know. These double effect produced by the playwright is called ‘dramatic irony’. Dramatic irony may be verbal irony or irony of situation. Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” has many verbal ironies. For example, the conversation between the Duke and Viola in disguise as a page contains verbal irony. Through the conversation the audiences know that Viola is a woman who in disguise, indirectly indicates about her sex to the Duke. But the Duke who is unaware of her sex praises her thinking that he (she) is  a page boy. A similar situation arises in Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” when Rosalind disguised as a shepherd and woos Orlando, her lover in the forest of Arden and talks to him as if she is a man. In fact, disguise is often a fruitful source of Verbal irony.

In Irony of Situation circumstances convey opposite meanings to the characters on the one hand and another for the audiences. For example, Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” has many instances of irony of situation. Duncan’s visit to Macbeth’s castle is one instance. He speaks high about the warm atmosphere of Macbeth’s castle. But the audiences know that his death is soon at the hands of Macbeth. The porter scene is another instance in “Macbeth” The porter in drunkenly state chatters with Macduff and Lennox. But Macduff talks to him lightly and the audiences know that soon Macduff is going to make a lawful discovery of Duncan’s death. Greek tragedy is full of ironic situations. One famous instance occurs when Oedipus calls down curses on the man who slew his father. The audience is aware though Oedipus does not know he only committed the crime but the audiences know about it. If at all, there is curse on the wrong doer, then it must  fall on Oedipus. 

Soliloquy

Soliloquy is an actor’s secret thoughts uttered aloud on the stage so as to make audience know what is going in the mind of the character. But it is not heard by other characters of the play, though the other characters are present on the stage. Drama is a make-believe in which the audience is not supposed to exist. The use of the soliloquy depends on this assumption. It is often attacked as an unnatural device, because in real life no one puts his private thought to be heard by others. Like this no one makes a long speech (soliloquy) like Hamlet on the question of suicide.  But one should understand that soliloquy is not meant to be treated as speech. It is merely a conventional way of conveying the inner mind of the character to be known to the audience. The audience knows that it is unreal, yet they accept its necessity in the play. Hence, soliloquy demands “willing suspension of disbelief”. The soliloquy continued to be used, particularly in farce and melodrama till the end of nineteenth century.

Aside

The aside is a passing thought uttered aloud by an actor in front of other characters on the stage, but it is not supposed to be heard by other characters. It is a shortest form of soliloquy and its purpose is also the same. It is also like soliloquy unnatural.

Soliloquy and Aside

Both soliloquy and aside have vanished from the modern drama with its insistence upon the realistic. What was used to convey in the old drama must now be brought out in the dialogue, look, action and so on. The soliloquy however has an honoured place in literature. Hamlet’s “o be or not to be”; Othello’s “Put out the light, and then put out the light”; Macbeth’s “If I were done then ‘tis done” and Henry V’s “what infinite heart’s ease must kings neglect” are some the interesting soliloquies from literature and they have profound psychological interest and highest poetic quality.

Expectation and Surprise

The plot construction in a play follows two methods: 1. expectation and 2. surprise. In expectation the dramatist discloses all the facts and makes the audience expect the subsequent development. It derives its interest from anticipation. In fact, too much of ‘expectation’ leads to dullness.

In surprise, the dramatist discloses only a few items and keeps the rest for some other time in the drama in order to give surprise to the audience. It derives its interest from suspense. Too much of ‘surprise’ results to end play in melodrama.  

Shakespeare uses both in moderation.  For example, “Othello” is built on expectation and “Macbeth” is built on surprise.  Shakespeare’s comedies, generally employ expectation instead of surprise. For example, Viola of “Twelfth Night” in disguise as duke’s page is not a surprise because the audience knows this but the audience expects what is going to happen to Viola. Therefore, the audiences enjoy irony in the dialogue and situation that result from the disguise. It is difficult to assess the relative merits of these devices in a play. Each is effective in its own way. Yet surprise probably constitutes the essence of all drama.