In a post on The Write Practice, Joslyn Chase examines how dramatic irony can add suspense to your story. “Dramatic irony occurs when the reader is in a position of superior understanding, knowing more than the unwitting character does,” Chase explains. “This can be a superb way to create nail-biting suspense.”
Shakespeare’s plays are full of dramatic irony. When Romeo prepares to kill himself, the audience knows Juliet is alive, but he does not. Duncan has no clue that MacBeth plans his assassination, while the audience is well aware. Most horror movies bank on dramatic irony to create tension, revealing danger to the audience while keeping a character in the dark. “Giving readers more information than the protagonist possesses lets them get a little ahead of the character—making predictions and anticipating outcomes the character can’t,” Chase adds.
