irony,+ironic

It is ironic how sometimes there must first be war and violence in order to reach peace; such as in the American Civil War and in World War II it is used as a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated. A manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc., esp. as a means of indicating detachment from a subject, theme, or emotion.
 * Irony:** the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning. It is often used to create humor.
 * Example:**
 * When used in literature:**


 * Types of Irony**

Words that literally state the opposite of the speaker’s actual meaning. Verbal irony is distinguished from related phenomena such as situational irony and dramatic irony in that it is produced //intentionally// by speakers.
 * Verbal Irony:**

A speaker might say; “What lovely day we are having” while the actual weather is very cloudy and stormy. A speaker might also say; “I am not upset” but the actual displeased mood of the speaker is revealed through his/her tone.
 * Examples:**

It is also known as “tragic irony” and is a device used to heighten the intensity of a dramatic situation. The facts or events are unknown to a character in a certain literature work, but known to other characters in the book or to the audience.
 * Dramatic Irony:**

In William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, Romeo finds Juliet in a deep sleep caused by the potion, which leads him to believe that she is dead, therefore he decides to commit suicide because he believes all hope has been lost. This occurs while the audience is aware of the fact that Juliet was not dead but instead was asleep.
 * Examples:**

When a speaker (typically in drama or prose) asks another character/person a question under the guise of ignorance, generally in order to teach them something by allowing them to make a statement that can then be challenged. The term is derived from the supposed teaching methods of Socrates.
 * Socratic Irony:**

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_irony#Tragic_irony_.28dramatic_irony.29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbal_irony#Verbal_irony http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Socratic%20irony