Dramatic Irony: Osvald's Illness
There is a great deal of dramatic irony in the text when Osvald confesses that he has syphilis but decides that it must be due to his own behavior rather than his heritage, while Mrs. Alving and the audience know that he truly did inherit it from his father. In fact, Osvald bemoans, "If only it was inherited—unavoidable—but this!" (105), exacerbating the irony.
Verbal Irony: Mrs. Alving
When Engstrand manipulates Manders into approving of his choice to be with Johanna—saying that it was the Christian thing to do, it wasn't for the money, he is a good father, etc.—Manders completely revises his opinion of the man. The audience and Mrs. Alving can tell that Engstrand is full of it, though, and when Manders comments, "That was a completely different perspective on things, wasn't it?" (101), Mrs. Alving replies ironically, "It certainly was." We know that she is being ironic because she can see Engstrand for what he is, whereas the naive Manders is easily beguiled by rectitudinous behavior.
