Introductory
Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen's valuable creation. The novel is remarkable not only for its ample vocabulary treasury style, but the appropriate manifestation of irony makes it more than a novel. In the cupboard of irony, Pride and Prejudice can be placed next to the winner of the crown of irony, Oedipus Rex. Because Pride and Prejudice holds situational, thematic, verbal as well as narrational irony at its disposal. Irony is the difference between expectation and reality.
Thematic Irony
If one looks closer into the title of Pride and Prejudice, one can easily trace out Thematic Irony which is subtly enveloped in the paradoxical title, Pride and Prejudice. Pride is, itself developed by someone's open prejudice against someone while prejudice is nourished when one is too proud of one's external as well as internal (in this case spiritual) possessions. The hot-selling dialogue of Darcy in Meryton Ball Party spoils Elizabeth internal impression about Darcy and resultantly, she is prejudiced of his proudsome personality. So, the opposite themes are coined together, thus making a paradoxical thematic aura (atmosphere).
Situational Irony
Dramatic or situational irony is the irony in which audience knows about the characteristics of characters while characters themselves are unaware of it in a drama or a novel. Pride and Prejudice holds many instances of situational irony. For example, when Elizabeth mocks at her sister, Jane for being blind of realities is herself blind of the truth that she is still "handsome enough to tempt" Fitzwilliam Darcy. Another situational irony starts working in the background when Mr. George Wickham is in "love" with Lydia Bennet. We, as readers, know that Wickham is a scoundrel minded person who is about to take away their reputation in their society. So, it happened and "His affection for her soon sunk into indifference; hers lasted a little longer."
Verbal Irony
Verbal Irony is the opposite outcome of tongued expressions. The very first sentence in the particular novel is the manifestation of verbal irony. "It is truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife". But the story goes practically against it. The statement is itself ironical in today's standards as well. In the novel, we see Mrs. Bennet hunting for healthy and "wealthy" husbands for her daughters. So they are (technically) the women of bad fortune and they must be in the want of richly jeweled husbands for their survival on the earth.
Irony in Characters
Pride and Prejudice is teaming up with characters, having implied smokescreens of their actualness. The first character is Mrs. Bennet who is, at first, sketched as liberal in both beauty and mind. But her liberality only lasts after the marriage and consequently, Mr. Bennet has to find refuge in his books. Another irony prevails when Mr. Darcy expresses his "love" for Elizabeth in a stinging way: "She is tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt me" and he ends up marrying her wholeheartedly. So is the case for George Wickham. He looks innocent outwardly but his character is ironically morally loose.
Conclusion
Irony in Pride and Prejudice plays the part of the soul in terms of characterization, thematic construction, dramatic stagery and verbal confessions. So, it is the subtle and decent work of irony which forms most of the novel.
References
- http://maenglishnotespk.blogspot.com/2014/06/irony-in-pride-and-prejudice.html
- http://www.cssforum.com.pk/css-optional-subjects/group-v/english-literature/10287-pride-prejudice-irony.html
