See also:

• IRONY (Gr. dipaweLa, from eipwv, one who says less than he means, eiepees, to speak)

IRONY (Gr. dipaweLa, from eipwv, one who says less than he means, eiepees, to speak)  , a See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form of speech in which the real meaning is concealed or contradicted by the words used; it is particularly employed for the purpose of ridicule, mockery or contempt, frequently taking the form of sarcastic phrase . The word is frequently used figuratively, especially in such phrases as "the See also:

• IRONY (Gr. dipaweLa, from eipwv, one who says less than he means, eiepees, to speak)

irony of See also:

• FATE

fate," of an issue or result that seems to contradict the previous See also:

• STATE
• STATE, GREAT OFFICERS OF

state or See also:

• CONDITION (Lat. condicio, from condicere, to agree upon, arrange; not connected with conditio, from condere, conditum, to put together)

condition . The See also:

• GREEK
• GREEK, ETRUSCAN AND

Greek word was particularly used of an under-statement in the nature of dissimulation . It is especially exemplified in the assumed See also:

• IGNORANCE (Lat. ignorantia, from ignorare, not to know); want of knowledge, a state of mind which in law has important consequences. A well-known legal maxim runs: ignorantia juris non excusat ("ignorance of the law does not excuse")

ignorance which See also:

• SOCRATES

Socrates adopted as a method of See also:

• DIALECTIC, or DIALECTICS

dialectic, the " Socratic irony " (see SOCRATES) . In tragedy, what is called " tragic irony " is a See also:

• DEVICE

device for heightening the intensity of a dramatic situation . Its use is particularly characteristic of the See also:

• DRAMA (literally "action," from Gr. Snail, act or do)

drama of See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

ancient See also:

• GREECE

Greece, owing to the familiarity of the spectators with the legends on which so many of the plays were based . In this form of irony the words and actions of the characters belie the real situation, which the spectators fully realize . It may take several forms; the See also:

• CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character speaking may be See also:

• CON

con-scious of the irony of his words while the See also:

• REST (O. Eng. rest, reste, bed, cognate with other Teutonic forms, e.g. Ger. Rast, Riiste, rest, and probably Gothic Rasta, league, i.e. resting or stopping place)

rest of the actors may not, or he may be unconscious and the actors See also:

• SHARE (O. Eng. scearu, chiefly in compounds, e.g. land-scearu, a share of land, from sceran to cut; cf. " shear" )

share the knowledge with the spectators, or the spectators may alone realize irony . The See also:

• OEDIPUS (OiSiirovs, O16tir63i7s, Wines, from Gr. ot&eiv swell, and gobs foot, i.e. " the swollen-footed ")

Oedipus Tyrannus of See also:

• SOPHOCLES (495-406 B.c.)

Sophocles is the classic example of tragic irony at its fullest and finest .