What is situational irony?

• A. A character speaks one thing but means the opposite.
• B. The reader understands more than a character.
• C. Actions have an effect opposite from what was intended.
• D. Fate seems to guide events without error.

Answer: (C)

Situational irony happens when the result of a situation is the opposite of what was expected or intended, creating a surprising reversal. This is why the best choice describes actions having an effect opposite from what was intended—the plan backfires in an unexpected way. For example, a firefighter’s house catching fire after they rush to extinguish a blaze shows the outcome contradicting the usual role and goal. Verbal irony involves saying one thing and meaning another, not the actual outcome of a situation. Dramatic irony deals with the audience knowing more than a character, not the reversal of events. Fate or cosmic irony suggests events align with a larger, unavoidable plan rather than a reversal of one’s own intentions.