Difference Between Irony and Paradox

Key Difference – Irony and Paradox

Irony and Paradox are two literary devices that are used in the literature between which a key difference can be identified. Irony is the expression of meaning through the use of language which normally means the opposite. Irony applied to various contexts. A paradox, on the other hand, is a statement that seems to contradict itself but may, in fact, be true. Thekey differencebetween irony and paradox is thatin irony there exists a mismatch or incongruity between what is perceived and what occurs, but a paradox is a clear contradiction.Through this article let us examine the differences between irony and paradox.

What is Irony?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines irony as the expression of meaning through the use of language which normally means the opposite. In simpler terms, irony is the incongruity between what a person expects and what happens. This is a literary device that is used extensively in literary works. Irony consists of many subcategories. Of these three subcategories are considered as major forms of irony. They aresituational irony, verbal irony, and literal irony. Other than these there are other subcategories such asdramatic irony, cosmic irony, Socratic irony, etc.

Let us take an example to understand what irony means. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the King Duncan goes on praisingMacbeth他的品质,而麦克白planning on murdering the king. This is an instance of irony because although the king perceives something, the result is of the complete opposite. This can further be categorized as an instance of situational irony as well.

What is Paradox?

一个悖论是一个声明,似乎矛盾itself but may, in fact, be true. There are some paradoxes that appear to be true and also false at the same time. Paradoxes are mostly used with logic and are believed to highlight the quirks that exist in logic. When you first read a paradox, you will notice that it is not some nonsensical sentence but sounds reasonable. It is after some consideration that we notice that the sentence is, in fact, self-contradictory. For an example, less is more is an example of a paradox. When speaking of paradoxes, we can identify two categories. They are literary paradox and logical paradox.Literary paradoxeslack the logical quality that can be noticed inlogical paradoxesas the titles suggest. It is this lack of quality that often leads to confusion with irony.

Here are some examples of paradoxes from English literature.

My heart leaps up when I behold

A rainbow in the sky:

So was it when my life began;

So is it now I am a man;

So be it when I shall grow old,

Or let me die!

The Child is father of the Man

ByWilliam Wordsworth

Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still,

Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will!

Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love.

Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate!

O anything, of nothing first create!

O heavy lightness! serious vanity!

Mis-shapen chaos of well-seeming forms!

Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire,
 sick health!

Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is!

This love feel I, that feel no love in this

ByWilliam Shakespeare

What is the difference between Irony and Paradox?

Definitions of Irony and Paradox:

Irony:Irony is the expression of meaning through the use of language which normally means the opposite.

Paradox:一个悖论是一个声明,似乎矛盾itself but may, in fact, be true.

Characteristics of Irony and Paradox:

Categories:

Irony:Situational irony, verbal irony, literal irony, dramatic irony, cosmic irony, and Socratic irony are categories of irony.

Paradox:Literal and logical paradoxes are the categories of paradox.

Nature:

Irony:Irony is an incongruity.

Paradox:Paradox is usually a clear contradiction.

Image Courtesy:

1.Lady MacbethBy George Cattermole – [Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons

2.Pinocchio paradoxBy Carlo Chiostri (1863 – 1939)derivative work: Mbz1 (talk) [Public Domain] via Wikimedia Commons