Paradox, Overstatement,
Understatement, Irony
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Paradox, Overstatement, Understatement, Irony, Study notes of Philosophy
It is a tool used to convey an assertion with more strength. The intentional representation of something as less than it is in reality is called understatement.
Typology: Study notes
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Paradox, Overstatement,
Understatement, Irony
Paradox
A paradox is an apparent contradiction that is nevertheless somehow true. It can exist in two ways: a paradoxical situation or a paradoxical statement.
In Aesop’s Fable “The Man and The Satyr”, the Satyr fears the man because he both blows on his fingers to warm them up, and blows on his soup to cool it down. This is a paradoxical situation.
In a paradoxical statement , the contradiction usually stems from one of the words being used figuratively or with more than one denotation.
Overstatement (Hyperbole) and Understatement
Overstatement is exaggeration in the service of truth. It is a tool used to convey an assertion with more strength.
The intentional representation of something as less than it is in reality is called understatement.
The statements “I’m starving” and “I’m dead tired” are examples of overstatement.
Commenting “This looks like a nice snack” when presented with a full dinner plate is an example of understatement.
Verbal Irony
Verbal irony , often confused with sarcasm or satire, is the statement of the opposite of what one means. It may or may not be used in the service of sarcasm or ridicule.
Verbal irony always implies the opposite of what is said, but more complex forms of irony mean both what is said and the opposite of what is said.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife,” from Pride and Prejudice, is an example of verbal irony.
Situational Irony
Situational irony occurs when a discrepancy exists between the actual circumstances and those that would seem appropriate, or between what one anticipates and what actually happens.
In “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, a poor young husband pawns his gold watch in order to buy a set of combs for his wife, while his wife simultaneously sells her long brown hair in order to buy a fob for her husband’s watch. This is an example of situational irony.
Works Cited
Austen, Jane. “Pride and Prejudice.” New York: Modern Library, 1995. Print.