>>23486129The character doesn't have to bring the tragedy to himself in that exact sense, tragic irony is when the character's words have a greater meaning / foreshadow something that is only known and understood by the audience
https://study.com/academy/lesson/tragic-irony-definition-examples.html> - If they just happen to mention it before it occurs, without causation foreshadowing, not tragic ironyEven my lightning example can be considered a tragic irony. This is from chatgpt
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You said:
If i say im gonna get struck by lightning, then it happens later, is that a literary tragic irony if my words had no effect on the outcome
ChatGPT said:
Yes, that can be considered tragic irony, though it depends a bit on how it's framed in the story.
Here's why:
Tragic irony is a form of dramatic irony where the audience knows something the character doesn't, often leading to a tragic or fated outcome. But in a broader literary sense, tragic irony can also apply when a character unknowingly predicts their fate, especially if they do so casually or without realizing the truth of their words.
So if:
You say, "I'm gonna get struck by lightning," either jokingly or in passing,
And then you actually do get struck by lightning,
And your words had no causal effect (you didn't cause it to happen),
But it leads to a tragic or fatal outcome,
Then yes — that would qualify as tragic irony, especially if:
The audience or reader sees the grim foreshadowing in hindsight.
There's a sense of inevitability or fate.
