Irony In Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice

Throughout the novel, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen demonstrates to the readers of her novel many significant portrayals of irony. From the very beginning of the novel, Jane Austen enfolds several occurrences of her characters demonstrating verbal irony. As the novel unfolds, the reader is also shown several instances of situational irony. Additionally, the use of dramatic irony is portrayed numerous times throughout the novel. In the romantic novel, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen uses irony not only as a tool to demonstrate her artistic wit but also to give her characters’ a more creative complexity. As Jane Austen’s novel begins, the reader is shown many instances of verbal irony being demonstrated by the characters. For instance, Elizabeth Bennett demonstrates verbal irony when she states, “I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect. He owns it himself without disguise” (pg. 52). In this scene, Elizabeth’s opinion of Mr. Darcy seems quite exaggerated, for the reader was shown from the beginning of the two characters’ encounter what Elizabeth truly felt for Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth saying that “Mr. Darcy has no defect” (52) contrasts significantly with her ultimate opinion and initial impression of him, for she narrates, “His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world/He was at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious, and his manners, though well bred, were not inviting” (pg. 12-16). Another instance of verbal