Georgy & Freder Switch (Dramatic Irony)
While their swapping does not fool the Thin Man for long, Georgy and Freder switching clothing and identities marks an instance of dramatic irony. While the viewer knows that the man in Freder's clothing going to Freder's car is not Freder, but rather Georgy, the Thin Man does not know, and so follows Georgy to the nightclub. It does not take long for him to catch on to the fact that Georgy is a substitute, but there is a while where the viewer knows more than the character, leading to an instance of dramatic irony.
Rotwang kidnapping Maria (Dramatic Irony)
Immediately after Maria and Freder make a plan to meet at the cathedral the following day, after meeting for the first time and passionately embracing one another, Maria is kidnapped by the vengeful Rotwang. We see her being pursued by the menacing scientist, running through the catacombs fearfully, then eventually being attacked and captured. While the viewer knows that Maria is being taken hostage by Rotwang, Freder has no idea and arrives at the cathedral looking for her the next day. This discrepancy between what we know and what Freder knows marks an instance of dramatic irony.
Robot Maria (Dramatic Irony)
The dramatic irony continues when we witness the construction of robot Maria, but Freder does not. He next sees what he thinks is his pure-hearted lover, but she is far more menacing and sinful than he had believed Maria to be. While the viewer knows that this version of Maria is just a robot, Freder has no idea that this is not the woman he loves, and is shocked and appalled by her behavior, including what appears to be her seduction of his father, Joh Fredersen.
Burning the Witch (Dramatic Irony)
Another instance in which the mistaken identities between authentic Maria and robot Maria lead to dramatic irony is when the revolutionaries begin hunting for the robot in order to burn her as a witch. When they encounter the real Maria in the streets, they chase her through the city, mistaking her for the robot who has sown the seeds of violent revolution in their movement. In this moment, the viewer knows something the revolutionaries do not, creating a particularly tense instance of dramatic irony. We wonder: will they burn the real Maria instead of Rotwang's evil creation?
