What is dramatic irony? 1. a situation in a novel, story, or play where the audience knows what is happening or what will happen while the characters do not 2. an instance in which a character in a work of fiction says something while meaning the complete opposite of what he or she stated 3. a situation in a work of fiction where the result of an action is contrary to what was expected 4. a situation in a work of fiction that brings out the conflict between human will and what is predestined