Use Of Dramatic Irony In Priestley's '

203 Words1 Page

2. Mr Birling is extremely arrogant. He makes very long speeches at dinner, discussing worldly matters which the audience would already know were incorrect. Priestley uses dramatic irony, where we know things that the characters obviously don’t. For example, when he insists that there will never be a war and that the Titanic is unsinkable. This is revealed when Mr Birling says, “And I’m talking as a hard-headed, practical man of business. And I say there isn’t a chance of war. The world’s developing so fast that it’ll make war impossible.” Mr Birling is convinced that a war will not happen, saying that ‘there isn’t a chance of war’. He then repeats this theory when he deems it ‘impossible’. His arrogance and complacency are made very clear.

Open Document