Question

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Explanation:

Define dramatic irony

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience or reader knows a vital piece of information that a character in the play or story does not know.

Analyze the options

• Option 1: Both the audience and Rosalind know Orlando wrote the poems, so there is no discrepancy in knowledge between them.
• Option 2: The audience knows Rosalind is disguised as Ganymede, but Orlando is completely unaware of this fact, creating a classic situation of dramatic irony.
• Option 3: Both the audience and Orlando share the knowledge of his love, which does not constitute dramatic irony.
• Option 4: The presence of her cousin is known to both, which does not create a dramatic irony dynamic.

Select the correct option

The second option perfectly matches the definition of dramatic irony because of the gap in knowledge between the audience and Orlando regarding Rosalind's disguise.

Answer:

• The audience knows Orlando is responsible for the poems, but Rosalind does as well.
• The audience knows Rosalind is wearing a disguise, but Orlando does not. (Correct answer)
• The audience knows Orlando is in love with Rosalind and is relieved that Rosalind loves him, too.
• The audience knows Rosalind is accompanied by her cousin, though she speaks no lines in this excerpt.