Which technique is used to create humor or build suspense in which the audience knows more than the characters do?

• A. Rhetorical devices
• B. Dialect
• C. Dramatic irony
• D. Idiom

Answer: (C)

Dramatic irony is when the audience knows more than the characters, and that gap in knowledge creates suspense or humor as we anticipate how and when the characters will figure things out. For example, in a mystery, we might know who the real culprit is while the detective character searches for clues elsewhere, which makes us feel tense or amused as we wait for the moment of revelation. This idea differs from other terms like rhetorical devices (language tricks used to persuade or emphasize), dialect (the way characters speak), or idiom (a phrase whose meaning isn’t literal). The key thing to notice is the audience’s extra information compared to the characters.