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Dramatic irony is a literary device in which the audience or reader knows something crucial that the characters in the narrative do not. There are three main types of dramatic irony: verbal, situational, and dramatic. **Step 2:** **Verbal Irony** occurs when a character says something, but the intended meaning is opposite to the literal meaning of the words. The audience understands the true meaning, while the character remains oblivious. An example of verbal irony can be found in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." In Act 3, Scene 1, when Juliet says, "O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die," she is expressing her desire to commit suicide with a dagger. However, the audience knows that the "happy dagger" will not bring her happiness but rather death, creating verbal irony. **Step 3:** **Situational Irony** takes place when the actual outcome of a situation is different from what was expected or intended. The audience is aware of the discrepancy between the anticipated and the real outcome. In Greek tragedy "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles, an example of situational irony occurs when Oedipus, trying to avoid fulfilling a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother, ends up unknowingly killing his father and marrying his mother, Jocasta. The audience knows the truth, but Oedipus remains ignorant until the climax. **Step 4:** **Dramatic Irony** is a type of irony that is specific to plays or dramas. It exists when the audience knows the true nature of a character or situation, while one or more characters in the narrative remain unaware. In William Shakespeare's "Hamlet," dramatic irony is evident when the audience knows that Hamlet's friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have betrayed him and are transporting him to his death in England, but Hamlet himself is unaware of their deceit. **