When reading a novel or play, can you determine when irony is used? Do you understand the purpose of irony and why authors often use it? Irony is a contrast or discrepancy between expectation and reality. It forms a shared understanding with the reader and can make moments comedic, surprising, or suspenseful. In the play Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, the overall purpose of irony is to increase the level of engagement and develop deeper levels of meaning in the text. To begin with, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony to make the play exciting and to emphasize a central idea. For example, at the beginning of the play, the reader knows that Romeo and Juliet are enemies in a long-standing quarrel between their two families settled in Verona, but Romeo and Juliet are unaware of this. In Act I, scene 5, the suspense increased when Romeo and Juliet flirted at the Capulets' masquerade ball and Juliet asked the nurse her name: “My only love, sprung from my only hate! / Seen too soon unknown and known too late! / Prodigious birth of love is for me / That I must love a detested enemy” (I, 5, 139-142). At this moment, the reader is filled with tension because he knows that Romeo and Juliet are both enemies of each other. It is not revealed to Romeo and Juliet that they are enemies until they have fallen in love with each other. This makes the reader anxious to know what will happen next. To add, Romeo tries to tell Tybalt that he has a reason why they love each other, but he couldn't have done it without telling him that Juliet was his bride: I protest that I never hurt you, but I love you better than you do. you can devise, until you know the reason of my love; and so, good C...... middle of the paper ...... I will dew; / Or, if you wish, with tears distilled from moans" (V, 3, 12-14). This was interesting and unexpected because Paris was actually in love with Juliet and even asked Romeo to lie next to Juliet after Romeo killed him. Given these points, Shakespeare used situational irony in the play Romeo and Juliet to interest the reader and ensure that things are not dull or boring. In conclusion, throughout the play Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare, irony is used to give pleasant satisfaction as well as a deeper connection with the writer or text. Shakespeare uses the three different types of irony: dramatic, verbal, and situational to shock, excite, and entertain the reader. The use of irony allows the reader to explore and reflect on the various levels of meaning and arrive at the understanding suggested by the author.