Dramatic irony in William Shakespeare’s twelfth night

Abstract EN

Authors use many techniques to get their point across.

One of these techniques is dramatic irony.

William Shakespeare used this technique in his play Twelfth Night (1601) to present his views about love, self love, friendship, etc.

in a way that produces laughter and on the part of the audience.

The aim of this study is to show the technique of dramatic irony in Twelfth Night, and to discuss its role in helping audience recognize the themes and the personalities of the characters of the play, and finally its influence on the dramatic construction of the play.

The study deals with the definition of dramatic irony, reasons for using this kind of technique, and its elements.

Then, it shows dramatic ironies in Twelfth Night both in the main plot and subplot.

Finally, the study sheds light on the influence of the dramatic irony on the dramatic construction of the play.

The study ends with Notes and a Bibliography.