Effectiveness of irony is Pixar Movies
Thesis Writing –
Intro:
“Once upon a time there was_______. Every day, ______. Because of that, ______. Until finally ______.”1
~Pixar's fourth rule of storytelling
“In a stunning turn of events, a superhero is being sued for saving someone who didn't want to be saved.”2 As with many Pixar movies, The Incredibles' main plot is based entirely around irony. The Incredibles is an ideal story that demonstrates Pixar's Fourth rule of storytelling. It begins with a unique character, who winds up in an unpredictable situation.
Once upon a time, there was a superhero. Every day, he saved lives. One day, he was sued for saving the life of someone who did not want to be saved. Because of that, Mr. Incredible and other superheroes were mandated by the government to remain hidden behind their secret identities. Because of that, Mr. Incredible assisted in improving a dangerous weapon, believing it was for the greater good. Until finally, the world needed a true superhero to save them from that very machine.
Pixar's fourth rule of storytelling appears in a majority of interesting and charming stories, but what sets Pixar movies apart from other films in the animated family film genre? Pixar's outstanding storytelling stems from its extensive and extraordinary use of irony. Although there may be a standard formula, Pixar goes above and beyond to make it unique and interesting. Irony is the most frequent and effective literary device used in Pixar's successful storytelling recipe for entertaining its audiences.
Irony is a common literary technique that has Greek origins, meaning “dissimulation” or “feigned ignorance.” Many people commonly confuse irony with coincidence, but it is really ...
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...re's Romeo and Juliet,6 in which most of the characters believe Juliet is dead, but the audience knows she only took a sleeping potion. When Romeo finds Juliet in her drugged coma, Romeo has the same misconception as the other characters when he kills himself. Shakespeare was a master of dramatic irony. It also appears in Shakespeare's Othello, in which the audience knows that Desdemona has been faithful to Othello, but Othello does not. The audience also knows that Iago is scheming to bring about Othello's downfall, a fact hidden from Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, and Roderigo. In these plays, the character reacts in a way contrary to that which is appropriate or wise, but if they had known the true facts, it may have ended differently. There is a marked contrast between what the character understands about his acts and what the overall story demonstrates about them.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "dramatic irony (literature)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. .
Some literary works exhibit structural irony, in that they show sustained irony. In such works the author, instead of using an occasional verbal irony, introduces a structural feature which serves to sustain a duplicity of meaning. One common device of this sort is the invention of a naïve hero, or else a naïve narrator or spokesman, whose invincible simplicity or obtuseness leads him to persist in putting an interpretation on affairs which the knowing reader—who penetrates to, and shares, the implicit point of view of the authorial presence behind the naïve persona—just as persistently is called on to alter and correct. (Abrams, 90)
heros who team together for the good of the universe and the money. The story
In many of William Shakespeare’s plays, the main character is driven to make decisions based ironic situations they are faced with. Oftentimes, these decisions ultimately lead to their downfall. In William Shakespeares, Hamlet, the author uses both situational and dramatic irony to facilitate the downfall of his characters. In this tragedy,Shakespeare exemplifies this irony through Hamlet’s sexual tension for his mother, the irony surrounding the role of Laertes in relation to Hamlet as well as the situational irony surrounding the role of Claudius.
The Incredibles presents familiar, yet clever ideas such as the perception of self-worth, conveying resolutions through compromise, and a controversial issue about handling violence properly.
One technique that Shakespeare uses is irony. Verbal irony is when a character says one thing but means the opposite. When a reader understands the irony of what a character is saying, then he can truly understand the nature and intentions of the character. An example of verbal irony is when Macbeth says to Banquo, "Tonight we hold a solemn supper, sir,/ And I’ll request your presence" (Macbeth 3.1.13-14). The reader soon discovers that Banquo never makes it to the banquet because he is brutally murdered by order of Macbeth. Shakespeare also uses situation irony. This occurs when the results of an action or event are different than what is expected. An example of situation irony occurs when Macduff talks to Malcolm and discusses the tragedies that are taking place in Scotland. Without knowing that his own family has been slain Macduff says, " Each new morn/ New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows/ Strike heaven on the fac...
One example of dramatic irony is when Oedipus is looking for the killer of the king Laius-his father. The irony here is that he is looking for himself because he is the murder of his father. Oedipus knows that he killed someone, but what he does not know is that it was Laius, the one he murder. Oedipus wants to punish the person who killed Laius, but we, the audience know that Oedipus was the one who killed Laius. Also Oedipus married Jocasta without knowing that she is his mother. We, the audience knew that he was Jocasta's son, but he was unaware of that.
A set of practices concerning the narrative structure compose the classical Hollywood Paradigm. These conventions create a plot centering around a character who undergoes a journey in an attempt to achieve some type of goal (). By giving the central character more time on screen, the film helps the audience to not only understand the character’s motivation but also empathize with his/her emotional state. Additionally, some antagonistic force creates conflict with the main character, preventing immediate success(). Finally, after confronting the antagonist, the main character achieves his or her goal along with growing emotionally(). This proven structure creates a linear and relatively easily followed series of events encompassing the leading character and a goal.
About a week ago we watched a movie called “The Incredibles”. The Incredibles is a 2004 movie written by Brad Bird. The movie is about super heroes who are not allowed to be heroes anymore because the people do not want to have heroes. But later they get into some trouble and end up being heroes again.
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragic story about two lovers who are from two disputing families, and their eventual suicides. Shakespeare uses dramatic irony throughout the play to create tension for the audience and foreshadow the ending. Dramatic irony is when the words or actions of characters in a story have a different meaning to the reader than to the characters. This is because the reader knows something that the characters do not. Romeo and Juliet’s death could have been prevented if the characters in the story weren’t so ignorant of their situations, and often times the reader recognizes this.
Tolman, Kelly. “Cask of Amontillado Irony.” The Cask of Amontillado. n.p., 21 May 2011. n.pag. Web. 6 Nov. 2011 .
Irony is a useful device for giving stories many unexpected twists and turns. In Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour," irony is used as an effective literary device. Situational irony is used to show the reader that what is expected to happen sometimes doesn't. Dramatic irony is used to clue the reader in on something that is happening that the characters in the story do not know about. Irony is used throughout Chopin's "The Story of an Hour" through the use of situational irony and the use of dramatic irony.
ABSTRACT: In contemporary literary culture there is a widespread belief that ironies and paradoxes are closely akin. This is due to the importance that is given to the use of language in contemporary estimations of literature. Ironies and paradoxes seem to embody the sorts of a linguistic rebellion, innovation, deviation, and play, that have throughout this century become the dominant criteria of literary value. The association of irony with paradox, and of both with literature, is often ascribed to the New Criticism, and more specifically to Cleanth Brooks. Brooks, however, used the two terms in a manner that was unconventional, even eccentric, and that differed significantly from their use in figurative theory. I therefore examine irony and paradox as verbal figures, noting their characteristic features and criteria, and, in particular, how they differ from one another (for instance, a paradox means exactly what it says whereas an irony does not). I argue that irony and paradox — as understood by Brooks — have important affinities with irony and paradox as figures, but that they must be regarded as quite distinct, both in figurative theory and in Brooks’ extended sense.
Irony, the literary device that may trick readers into thinking the outcome may be something completely different than what the author has planned (Work Cited – literary device website). Edgar Allan Poe shows off that he is a master of using irony in the short story, “The Cask of Amontillado”. Starting from the very line in a character’s name, Fortunato (Work cited – story). The name means “the fortunate one”, the irony becomes apparent when Montresor’s evil plan is revealed (Work cited – cliffs notes). Poe moves quickly with adding more irony into
Movies are a great version of storytelling because they make stories more relatable and memorable. Storytelling is one of the most powerful capabilities humans possess. It can be used to motivate, dominate, and influence people. The scope and power of storytelling has grown immensely from its roots in stories told over the campfire. It now covers every dimension of human emotion and endeavor. This makes stories incredibly relatable and influential in that one can relate to the emotions that are being depicted and can, if wanted to, be influenced by the decision the character made. Before movies were invented, people relied on speaking and “the written word” to hear stories. Each person visualized the story’s characters, sets, and actions differently. Moviemakers have moved a step further in the way of storytelling. They take it upon themselves to physically set up the sets, give faces to the characters, and sh...