IronyIrony can be defined in two ways: 1) it is a figure of speech in which the actual meaning of a phrase is not the intended meaning of the phrase (verbal irony or dramatic irony) and 2) the textbook definition, a strange twist ending. In this case, Pygmalion has irony in its ending. The strange, twist ending is that the readers do not know what is going to happen to Eliza. Generally, by the end of a book, all of your questions are answered, but, in this case, George Bernard Shaw ended the book before the readers could find out whether or not she gets married, goes back to the streets, or stays with Henry Higgins.
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Verbal IronyVerbal irony is a form of irony and involves saying something (verbally) that is not actually true or is not what the speaker actually means. Some of the metaphors used throughout the play can also be seen as uses of verbal irony. For example, Eliza calling Henry “a great brute” or Henry calling Eliza a “squashed cabbage leaf” though they clearing aren’t actually these things (but act like them).
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Dramatic IronyDramatic irony is unlike situational irony in that the characters are oblivious of the ironic situation while the audience understands the irony. One example of this type of irony in Pygmalion is when Eliza is introduced to new people as an upper-class woman instead of as a flower girl. This occurs at the ambassador’s party as well when she first meets Freddy Eynsford Hill, who falls in love with her not knowing she is a flower girl. We, as the readers, know that Eliza is a flower girl, but the other characters (aside from Higgins and Pickering) are not aware and therefore her interactions with them and fooling them into thinking she is an upper class woman, is dramatic irony.
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SatireSatire is a technique used by writers to expose and ridicule an individual or society and often involves the use of irony. It is regularly used to bring to light dishonesty, corruption, or the weakness of individuals. If we take a deeper look at the entirety of the play, we can tell that Shaw uses these characters and the play itself to criticize the British social class system. Shaw uses the fact that Eliza has to dress differently, speak differently, and act differently to be an upper class woman. It shows how lowly these people are, focused mainly on outward appearances. Even Freddy Eynsford Hill began to fall for Eliza based solely on her outward appearances and the fact that she was an upper class woman.
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