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Comic Relief · English Literature

How does 'Dramatic Irony' often interact with 'Comic Relief' in Shakespeare?

  1. The audience laughs because a character's folly stems from a misunderstanding only they can see
  2. Comic relief scenes are used to pause and explicitly clarify the irony for the audience
  3. Dramatic irony and comic relief are kept strictly separate and never occur in the same scene
  4. They are opposites — irony always signals impending tragedy while comedy signals pure joy
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Correct answer: The audience laughs because a character's folly stems from a misunderstanding only they can see

In many scenes, such as those involving Malvolio in 'Twelfth Night' or Bottom in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' the comedy comes from the audience knowing the truth while the character remains in a ridiculous state of ignorance.

Difficulty: Medium Question 16 of 20

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