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The irony is ridicule, containing an assessment of what is ridiculed; one of the forms of denial. Distinctive feature irony - double meaning, where the true is not what is directly expressed, but the opposite of what is implied; the greater the contradiction between them, the stronger the irony. Both the essence of an object and its individual aspects can be ridiculed; in these two cases, the nature of irony - the volume of negation expressed in it - is not the same: in the first it has a destructive meaning, in the second it has a corrective, improving meaning. Irony appears in the early 5th century BC. V ancient Greek comedy, where in number characters acts as an “ironist” - a pretender in the street, deliberately emphasizing his modesty and insignificance. In the Hellenistic era, irony is framed as a rhetorical figure that strengthens a statement by deliberately re-emphasizing it. In the same function, irony passes to the Roman rhetoricians and becomes one of the variants of allegory, which was later used by the humanists of the Renaissance (Lady Foolishness in Erasmus of Rotterdam), the authors of the Enlightenment (J. Swift, Voltaire, D. Diderot). Having survived to this day as stylistic device, irony is conveyed through the speech of the author or characters, giving the image a comic coloring, which means, unlike humor, not condescending approval of the subject of conversation, but rejection of it. The transformation of irony into a philosophical category is associated with the name of Socrates. Although Socrates himself did not use such a concept, it has come to define his critical style since Plato. Socratic irony consists in the denial of both real, objective truth and the subjective idea of the latter; according to this kind of irony, the only truth is self-sufficient negation, as evidenced, in particular, by famous saying philosopher: “I only know that I know nothing.” Socrates' principle of irony, which asserts the contestability and dialecticism of the absolute, was partially supported by Aristotle.

Irony among modern writers

Among the writers of modern times (M. Cervantes, F. Quevedo or L. Stern), irony serves as the starting position of the narrative, which precedes the philosophical and aesthetic meaning that the literature of romanticism gives it, which turned to the antithesis “man - world". In German romantic aesthetics took shape special type romantic irony, which captures the constant movement of thought, the infinity spiritual origin, containing the ideal as an eternal thought that has no finite designation. Romantic irony contrasts the objective world with a flexible, moving ideal - poetic fiction, i.e. ignorance by the artist, the creator of the work, of real phenomena and connections: the embodied perfect can always be ignored by the more perfect fictional. Thus, romantic irony becomes fundamental artistic principle that distinguishes the work of the romantics. As synonyms for the term “romantic irony,” F. Schlegel, who introduced it (“Critical Fragments”), used the words “arbitrariness” and “transcendental buffoonery,” meaning free play creative imagination around everyone and everything life problems and contradictions. This form of subjective denial was a reaction to the ideology of mercantile rationalism, which discredited human individuality. This essence of romantic irony was transformed by the German romantics of the second generation, for whom the dependence of the spiritual principle on reality was already outlined: in their works, irony refers not only to the external world, but also to the internal, subjective one opposed to it. The romantic approach to life itself turns out to be ironic - romantic irony naturally leads to self-denial. At this time of crisis of romantic consciousness, Schlegel spoke of irony only as a manner of thinking, and not as the starting position of creativity. In new historical conditions, in the teachings of K.V.F. Zolger (“Erwin”, 1815), irony represents the recognition of the descent of the ideal, its refraction in reality, the interconnection and mutual influence of these two opposing principles. In this direction, the concept of irony develops in Hegel’s philosophy, revealing the dialecticism of the sublime and the base, the unity of the universal ideal with the particular material. Hegel criticizes romantic irony, seeing in it an expression of fear of the laws of real life and incorrect creative principle, excluding the credibility of the work. Hegel finds irony in the fact of the dialectic of all development, and above all historical. In the realism of the 19th century, as in the literature of the pre-Romantic period in general, irony did not have the status of a norm of aesthetic consciousness, because at these stages the subjective worldview was much weaker than in romanticism. Here, irony often merged with satire - which was not at all expected by romantic irony; it turned into sarcasm, becoming a means of exposing and denouncing social order or certain aspects of life. S. Kierkegaard criticized romantic irony for the “game” that constitutes it, but at the same time, like Socrates, he followed the German romantics when he declared the subject, the individual spirit, to be the bearer of irony, thereby polemicizing with Hegel’s objectification of irony (“On the Concept of Irony” with constant reference to Socrates"). His interpretation of irony as the relationship of the individual to the world was continued by the existentialists (O.F. Bolnov, K. Jaspers), who denied any truth other than existential, except subjective knowledge about life.

Irony in 20th century art

In the art of the 20th century, irony takes on new forms, one of which is the author’s detachment from the story told through the introduction of the figure of the narrator (early short stories and “Doctor Faustus”, 1947, T. Mann; G. Böll “Group Portrait with a Lady”, 1971). Irony carries within itself the “alienation effect” in B. Brecht’s theater - the method of presenting familiar phenomena as if from the outside, as a result of which the viewer gets the opportunity to re-evaluate them and make an unconventional, more true judgment about them.

The word irony comes from Greek eironeia, which means pretense, mockery.

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. Today we will talk about such a literary device as irony. It is not as widespread in literature as, for example, or, but it is still very remarkable.

This literary device It is interesting primarily because it is not at all easy to use, and only real masters of the word could really do it.

Definition of irony - what is it?

Irony is the use of words or phrases that characterize a phenomenon, event or property in a completely opposite meaning. They tell you “black”, but you need to understand it as “white”.

Remember the ironic expression “YOU ARE WELL DONE!” It is said reproachfully, meaning the complete opposite.

In written language, irony is usually concluded in quotes(after all, it is difficult to show irony in intonation), and in conversation these quotation marks are shown with fingers (or added at the end - in quotation marks).

For example, the written phrase “you are very “smart”” carries a completely different meaning (opposite). Or they can say this: he is smart (in quotes). And everyone understands that this is irony.

This term, like many others, came into Russian from Ancient Greece. And the word "eironeia" can be literally translated as "pretense." It is believed that the first master of irony was a philosopher and thinker Socrates.

With its help, he successfully ridiculed his competitors, especially the sophists (there was such a philosophical movement).

By the way, the very name “sophists” originally meant “wise man,” but thanks to Socrates it acquired a pejorative meaning (a wise man in quotation marks is a fool).

We all talked about the use of this term (trope) in literature. Below you will see a lot of examples of ironic statements and find out what types they are divided into. But this is not a purely literary term.

It still happens irony of the situation- this is when everyone expects one thing (obvious), but the completely opposite happens (remember the plot of the film “The Irony of Fate”).

Irony in everyday life

To better understand what irony is, let's give examples from our lives - those expressions that many of us use constantly.

COME INTO MY MANSION - this is how many people invite guests to their home, while small-sized apartments or even one room are often called “mansions”;
WELL, WHO NEEDS SUCH BEAUTY - this is what they say about something not very attractive or a production error;
I HAVE DREAMED ABOUT THIS ENTIRE LIFE - this is what we often call gifts or offers that we actually don’t like at all;
I LOVE A STICK LIKE A DOG - another stable form of saying that you don’t like something;
THIS IS ONLY I THINK ABOUT THIS - this is how they answer when they ask about something completely uninteresting.

That is, all these phrases are used in completely opposite meanings, but we all understand the hidden meaning in them.

You can also remember the popular reaction to the fact that a person has made a mistake or done something bad. They can simply say to him: “WELL, YOU ARE WELL DONE!”, although in reality, of course, no one considers him a “well done”, but just the opposite (well done in quotes).

Types of irony

Irony varies depending on who is being ridiculed and how much?:

Direct irony is the most common way to belittle and give a negative assessment. For example, wanting to tell a person that he was scared of something, they often say “YOU ARE BRAVE!”:
Anti-irony - the goal is not to ridicule a person, but to show that he is actually underestimated. For example, Zhvanetsky has the following lines: “The doctors did everything possible, but the patient survived”;
Self-irony is irony directed at the person himself. For example, famous phrase“WHERE AM I, a fool, supposed to understand” means that a person once again confirms his disagreement.

As can be seen from these examples, irony - it's not always "denigration" anything. As we have already said, often with its help “the good is hidden behind the bad.”

Examples of irony in literature

It is logical to assume that this artistic technique(trope) was used by those writers and poets who wrote ironic works.

For example, Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol in his “ Dead souls "With the help of this technique he very aptly described the character of the characters. Here's what he says about the bribe-taking police chief:

The police chief was in some way a father and benefactor in the city. He was among the citizens just like a member of the family, and in shops and in Gostiny Dvor visited as if visiting his own pantry.

Even more often examples of irony can be found in Ivan Krylova. Still this one literary genre in itself implies ridicule and mockery of the characters.

Surely everyone knows the fable “The Dragonfly and the Ant”, in which the ant ridicules the dragonfly when she came to him for help:

Did you sing everything? This business!

Alexander Sergeevich also loved to make fun of his characters Pushkin. In “Eugene Onegin” there are the following lines:

An old man with a lot to do,
I didn’t look at other books.

He settled in that peace,
Where is the village old-timer?
For about forty years he was quarreling with the housekeeper,
I looked out the window and squashed flies.

Moreover, in the same “Eugene Onegin” Pushkin speaks very ironically about the high society of St. Petersburg:

Here, however, was the color of the capital,
And know, and fashion samples,
Faces you meet everywhere
Necessary fools.

But one of the highest masters irony of situations(not inverting the meaning of words, but creating situations where you expect one thing, but the opposite happens) many literary scholars admit Mikhail Bulgakov.

In almost every work of his you can see how the author ridicules even individual characters, but entire foundations that have developed in society. Here is an example from “The Master and Margarita,” specifically the dialogue between Woland and Berlioz before the latter’s head was cut off:

Woland: There is no God?
Berlioz: No!
Woland: And there is no devil either?
Berlioz: There is no devil!
Woland (laughing): That’s really interesting. What do you have, no matter what you miss, you have nothing!

Woland's last phrase refers not only to a specific scene in the novel, but also reflects the real situation in the country at that time. Indeed, in the late 20s - early 30s (that’s when “The Master and Margarita” was written) there was a terrible shortage in the Soviet Union.

But Bulgakov showed even greater disdain for the current order in “ Heart of a Dog" There, the characters themselves - Sharikov or Shvonder - are an open irony of the “new masters of the country.”

In one of the scenes, the author, for example, openly laughs at the fact that it is not customary for the Bolsheviks to divide people by gender - into men and women, but they all call each other “comrades” and even dress the same. And finally, how can one not remember the wonderful advice of Professor Preobrazhensky to his assistant Dr. Bormental:

If you care about your digestion, don't talk about Bolshevism at dinner. And God forbid you, don’t read Soviet newspapers!

Instead of a conclusion

By the way, psychologists say that a person who is in his oral speech often uses irony, is possessive extraordinary intelligence.

So don’t be afraid to laugh at some nonsense around you. Just learn to do it subtly and tactfully. After all, none of us are perfect. And your opponent may well respond to your irony with his own apt phrase.

Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the blog site

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FAQ and FAQ - what is it?

Every person has encountered the concept of “irony” in life, but few people understand the meaning of this word and interpret it correctly. “Irony” translated from ancient Greek means pretense, deception, and “ironist” is a person who pretends for the purpose of ridicule.

The attitude towards this genre of humor is twofold. Aristotle and Plato believed that the ability to ironize is characteristic only of a high soul. Theophrastus and Ariston of Keos called this quality concealment of one's own hostility to the world, arrogance, concealment of oneself. Mikhail Saltykov-Shchedrin wrote: “There is one step from irony to sedition.” The definition of the concept was given based on the attitude towards this genre of humor.

However, everyone is ready to admit how magnetically attractive wit is. People who do not mince words are calmer and more protected. After all, in their arsenal there is powerful weapon- irony. So what is irony?

Irony is a trope that implies the use of words in a sense opposite to reality: we think one thing, but say another for the purpose of ridicule. Dictionaries display synonyms for the word “irony” for ease of understanding: mockery, ridicule, pretense, banter, sarcasm, grotesque. However, the meaning of these concepts is not the same. Sarcasm is a harsh form of irony, and grotesque is a technique based on excessive exaggeration and contrasts.

Vladimir Dal gives the following definition of the concept: “Irony is denial or ridicule, feignedly clothed in the form of agreement or approval.”

say to an evil person: “Yes you are kindest soul man,” and to the stupid one: “You probably came to ask something intellectual?”;
to the person’s conceit, answer: “What are we to do with you, such a prince”;
call the cowardly hero, and the voiceless one Fyodor Chaliapin;
contrast the “high and important” with the “small” - call Putin Vovan.

Irony does not always carry negative connotations. Sometimes it is expressed in order to show praise and approval, to recognize the object as undervalued. For example, the words: “Well, of course! You’re stupid, yeah!” means approval of the intellectual abilities of the interlocutor.

Why is irony needed? It's cultural to stick your horns in. Don’t tell your opponent straightforwardly: “You’re a stupid blonde” or “You’re senile,” when you can subtly play with words and preserve your dignity. “Goat” for a person is an insult, and ironic synonyms for this curse: “Yes, you a real man" are socially acceptable words. Someone will understand yours graceful humor, someone will take the statement as truth. Doesn't matter. The main thing is to express aggression in a dignified manner and stop the offender.

Psychology claims that irony is an indispensable defense mechanism. She turns the terrible and terrible into the opposite, puts it in a funny light. How many jokes and posts are written about painful issues: about Ukraine, about Obama and America, about low level life in the country. Humor inspires, builds immunity, and increases self-esteem. The saving function of irony was best described by Voltaire: “What has become funny cannot be dangerous.”

However, you should not overdo it with self-defense. Excessive use of irony will give you away and tell you about an inferiority complex and hidden pain.

Irony is also important for writing. works of art, philosophical treatises, political monologues for an enhanced impact on the consciousness of listeners. This trope makes speech more interesting and witty.

Words of irony are used in literature no less often than metaphors and hyperboles. Their meaning is to ridicule some phenomenon or character in a work, to make the object appear ridiculous.

The main ironist of Russian literature, undoubtedly, can be called A.S. Pushkin. In the work “Eugene Onegin” he ridicules the nobility: “Like a London dandy dressed,” Pushkin calls the privileged layers of society “the color of the capital,” “the nobility, fashion models.”

In his work he used the irony of A.P. Chekhov. In the work “The Death of an Official,” the author ridicules servility: “Having mechanically arrived home, without taking off his uniform, he lay down on the sofa and ... died.” “He died” of fear after he sneezed on his boss’s bald head.

“The eternal student” is what the writer calls Petra Trofimova from the play “ The Cherry Orchard"for his mental myopia and limitations. Comedy in tragedy.

In an ironic form, N.V. also denounced ugly social relations. Gogol ridiculed officials and landowners. The most striking comedy is manifested in the works: “Old World Landowners”, “ Dead Souls“,” “The story of how Ivan Ivanovich quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich,” etc. Gogol's story is carried out precisely in a feigned serious tone, as if the writer really accepts what is happening in this world and looks at what is happening through the eyes of the main characters.

I.A. Krylov makes extensive use of irony in fables. His words “Did you sing everything? This business. So go and dance!” ridicule laziness and irresponsibility. “To dance” here literally means to starve, to be left with nothing. Krylov’s fable “The Motley Sheep” was banned for political reasons, since it is completely imbued with caustic irony over the hypocrisy of rulers who brutally deal with those disliked by the regime, and at the same time expressing feigned sympathy for their unfortunate fate.

Direct irony is a way to present an object in a funny light, to belittle it. Behind approval and agreement there is a hidden hint of a person’s shortcomings and contempt for him. At the same time, it should maintain an element of superiority, but not insult the person.

Anti-irony is a way to present an object as undervalued, to understand the positive behind negative statements. If you hear words in the style: “Where are we, pathetic plebeians…”, know that this is anti-irony.

Self-irony - irony directed at oneself means the ability to laugh at oneself. It can have both positive and negative connotations.

Socratic irony is a way to lead the interlocutor to realize the falsity and meaninglessness of his conclusions. Socrates structured the dialogue as if he agreed with his opponent. Subsequently brought leading questions interlocutor until he realizes the absurdity of his own judgment.

Irony is always the opposite, and the sharper it is, the more subtle the humor. It is not always expressed by words, sometimes by intonation of speech, gestures, facial expressions.

If you have a subtle instinct and natural wit, it means that it is easier for you to endure stress and quickly win people’s sympathy. And if not? Is it possible to learn to be ironic? On the one hand, learning the techniques of irony is elementary. Is it difficult to contrast one with the other? The question is the appropriateness of using a joke, the quality of humor. Not everyone is able to appreciate the subtlety and relevance of their own humor.

When using the trope it is worth considering cultural traditions, mentality of the country, gender, age of the audience. What is funny to an American is not always funny to a European. In one company jokes in the style of “Comedy Club” are popular, in another - the subtle humor of Chekhov or the satire of Saltykov-Shchedrin.

How to learn to play with words gracefully

Read a lot, cultivate aesthetic taste in yourself. Good books They will learn to distinguish “outhouse” humor from high-quality wit, and will develop speech and thinking.
Learn to see contrast in everything. The easiest way to be ironic is to say the opposite of what you mean. The sharper the contradiction, the more subtle the humor. Hyperbole (exaggeration) helps to emphasize contrast more clearly. The word “good” can be replaced by the hyperbole “super-duper.”
A more complex way to use a trope is to use set expressions. For example, to say about an unintelligent person: “Seven spans in the forehead”, about an incompetent slacker - “People’s craftsman.”

The ability to use irony means high intelligence person and the ability to beautifully convey your idea, and abuse of it - disdain to people and complexes. It is necessary to see the boundaries where irony begins, and where insult and uncompromising sarcasm begin.

Harsh and frequent irony can trample a person’s dignity. Accidentally thrown words change people's lives for the worse. For example, model Valeria Levitina was told while playing football that she should be placed on the goal: her butt would block the space from balls. The words ate deep into the girl’s soul, she stopped eating normally and became anorexic. Valeria weighed only 25 kg and held the title of the thinnest woman in the world.