Irony, which is when words or situations turn out the opposite of what is expected, permeates Pride and Prejudice.
The first sentence of the novel is frequently cited as the textbook example of verbal irony:
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
What this really means is the opposite of what it says: that women universally wish to marry a man with money. This opening sentence sets the tone for the rest of this novel. In fact, the verbal irony of the first sentence is itself wittily and ironically upset by situational irony when Elizabeth Bennet turns down the wealthy Mr. Darcy's offer of marriage, blowing up at him in rage at his arrogant way of proposing to her and telling him he is the last man she would ever marry.
Other ironies include Elizabeth's blindness to the fact that Charlotte wants to marry the man Elizabeth rejected, Mr. Collins, and the fact that Charlotte makes a decent marriage out of it, which Elizabeth had thought impossible. It is ironic, too, that Mr. Darcy at first insults Elizabeth as a woman not pretty enough to tempt him to dance, then ends up falling in love with her.
Austen, an admirer of the wit of Samuel Johnson, wrote the first draft of this novel in the late 1790s. Eighteenth-century witticisms, based on the juxtaposition of opposites, remain in the revised version. One example is Mr. Bennet's response to Mr. Collins's proposal to Elizabeth:
An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.
Through witty utterances and ironic plot twists, Austen keeps us entertained in this novel that makes comedy out of the serious subject of the marriage market.
A great deal of Austen's wit is actually seen through the use of irony. In Pride and Prejudice, we see all three types of irony displayed: verbal, situational, and dramatic.The use of verbal irony particularly expresses Austen's use of wit. Verbal irony is usually recognized as sarcasm. It is the moment someone, such as a character or narrator, says one thing, but means the complete opposite. One perfect example of verbal irony can be seen in the very opening line of the book, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" (Ch. 1). The irony in this line is that, while the women of an English village in Austen's time might "acknowledge" the truth above, the wealthy men the line is referring to actually might not; therefore, the above is not really a "truth universally acknowledged." Instead, this opening line is a perfect example of sarcasm, or verbal irony, and a perfect example...
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of Austen's wit.Situational irony describes a moment when something occurs and the exact opposite was expected to occur. Either the audience or the characters can have the opposite expectations. One instance of situational irony can be seen early on in the novel at a party that takes place at Lucas Lodge. After Elizabeth is asked to play and sing, the party begins to dance. At the same moment that Sir Lucas is trying to convince Mr. Darcy to join in the dancing, Elizabeth begins walking towards them. Mr. Darcy so adamantly protests dancing to Sir Lucas, even insulting the activity, saying, "Every savage can dance," that when Sir Lucas sees Elizabeth and encourages Darcy to dance with her the reader as well as Elizabeth are very surprised when Darcy "requested to be allowed the honour of her hand" (Vol. 1, Ch. 6). Darcy's behavior in this instant is a true reversal of his earlier behavior, especially at the Meryton assembly. Hence, this is a perfect example of situational irony. In addition, the moment is also amusing due to the sudden change of behavior, also making it another example of Austen's wit. Dramatic irony occurs when the reader is aware of something that the characters have no idea of. This scene is also a fine example of dramatic irony. The reader has already begun to get the impression that Darcy feels an attraction for Elizabeth, which the reader began to see when she was tending to her sister at Netherfield. Therefore, the reader knows that Darcy's sudden interest in dancing with Elizabeth is actually genuine while Elizabeth still believes that he dislikes her and is merely asking in an attempt to be well mannered. Again the situation is amusing due to both Elizabeth's and Darcy's reactions to the situation. Hence, again, this use of dramatic irony also demonstratesAusten's wit.
From the very first pages the narrator's delight in making ironic, witty comments about her chararcters is clear. Frequently these come through the mouthpiece of Lizzy Bennet, but they also are common occurences from the omniscient narrator. To give just one example, Lizzy Bennet employs a rather cruel form of irony to describe Miss De Bourgh on her first meeting:
"I like her appearance. She looks sickly and cross. Yes, she will do very well for him."
In this example of irony we need to possess knowledge about matters exterior to the context in order to detect and fully appreciate the irony. Here, obviously Lizzy does not like the appearance of Miss De Bourgh - her "liking" is only based on her dislike of Mr Darcy and his and Miss De Bourgh's intended union. Such use of verbal irony, or saying the opposite of what is really meant, is used throughout this novel, but the reader must be aware of the wider context in order to detect and enjoy the uses of irony.
Irony definitely extends beyond the verbal in this novel however. It is highly ironic that Mr. Darcy, having just persuaded Mr. Bingley to abandon his pursuit of Jane Bennet, then goes on to propose to Lizzie Bennet, in spite of exactly all of the same objections standing against such a union. Likewise, Lady Catherine's visit to Lizzie Bennet to try and prevent the union of Darcy and Elizabeth, unknowingly and highly ironically, is a key event that brings her nephew and Lizzie Bennet together.
That is enough to get you started - you might also want to think about the kind of irony employed by various characters, and indeed, the narrator herself. Linked to this you will want to examine the characters irony is used against and their awareness - or not - of the irony that is employed against them. For example, Mr. Bennet frequently employs irony against his wife and also Mr. Collins, who are blissfully unaware of the double meaning.
Give a detailed note on the use of wit and irony in Pride and Prejudice.
You can hardly read Pride and Prejudice and ignore the narrator's delight in making ironic, witty comments about her chararcters. Frequently these come through the mouthpiece of Lizzy Bennet, but they also are common occurences from the omniscient narrator. To give just one example, Lizzy Bennet employs a rather cruel form of irony to describe Miss De Bourgh on her first meeting:
"I like her appearance. She looks sickly and cross. Yes, she will do very well for him."
In this example of irony we need to possess knowledge about matters exterior to the context in order to detect and fully appreciate the irony. Here, obviously Lizzy does not like the appearance of Miss De Bourgh - her "liking" is only based on her dislike of Mr Darcy and his and Miss De Bourgh's intended union. Such use of verbal irony, or saying the opposite of what is really meant, is used throughout this novel, but the reader must be aware of the wider context in order to detect and enjoy the uses of irony.
Irony definitely extends beyond the verbal in this novel however. It is highly ironic that Mr. Darcy, having just persuaded Mr. Bingley to abandon his pursuit of Jane Bennet, then goes on to propose to Lizzie Bennet, in spite of exactly all of the same objections standing against such a union. Likewise, Lady Catherine's visit to Lizzie Bennet to try and prevent the union of Darcy and Elizabeth, unknowingly and highly ironically, is a key event that brings her nephew and Lizzie Bennet together.
That is enough to get you started - you might also want to think about the kind of irony employed by various characters, and indeed, the narrator herself. Linked to this you will want to examine the characters irony is used against and their awareness - or not - of the irony that is employed against them.