Ironic Dimensions in Richard III, by William Shakespeare

Abstract

In this article, the different ways in which irony takes place in a literary text are analyzed. The initial assumption is that irony is both a figure of speech – a sentence that cancels itself in that it guides the reader/spectator into rejecting its literal meaning – and offers a worldview in that it implies a stance of denial of a reality. In light of the principles set by DC Muecke and Søren Kierkegaard, this paper seeks to identify and discuss the ironic dimensions in the play Richard III by William Shakespeare.