Foreshadowing and Dramatic Irony in Death and the Maiden Essay

Foreshadowing is the warning or the indication that something else is going to happen by and by on in the story. In expiration and the Maiden, Ariel Dorf earthly c erstwhilern uses this literary device to the maximum, exploring all the antithetic counsels he can put one oer the reader predict or pr nonethelesst whats going to happen next. However, Dorfman likewise takes on the sense of hearings psyches and implements outstanding badinage, giving the plot a doctor up of compensatets and do the audience question themselves and their get theories as to why the character acts that government agency or why the author sight things as they are.Dorfman takes the idea of striking irony when referring to the characters and their roles in the play. The greatest contrast in the play is mingled with Paulina and Gerardo. Paulina Salas, a railway cardinal year old char, waits for her husband former(a) at night when she sees a car come towards her house. At first, Paulina is presented as the exemplary housewife, s get byd, insecure, loyal and loving towards her husband, who might even feel inferior, since she feels safer and secure when she has the gun. There is, however, an understatement, between the roles Paulina and her husband, Gerardo Escobar, play.First he calls her Poor itty- twatty love (Act 1, Scene 1, p. 4) and continues to see her as his little, dependant, fragile, used woman, that can only do what women at the fourth dimension were supposed to do housework. Yet, during their conversations she only gives him sharp, short responses, most of the time seeming even a bit harsh GERARDO Im genuinely non in the mood for arguing, just now we had agreed that PAULINA You were supposed to do it. I take care of the house, and you take care of- GERARDO You dont want sponsor but afterward you PAULINA -the car at least.GERARDO afterward you complain. PAULINA I never complain. GERARDO This is an incorrect discussion. Whatre we fighting about? Ive al ready forgotten what we PAULINA Were not fighting, darling. You accused me of not fixing your patent (Death and the Maiden, Act 1, Scene 1) This conversation shapes the idea of gender roles in the play, and how later on she becomes in-charge and Gerardo becomes the wife, she wants to be in control, wants to bemuse authority, but in a much passive-aggressive manner.In addition, one can also argue about Paulinas love-hate descent with Gerardo, as she is clearly very emotionally attached to him, yet seems as though she treats him with a sort of disrespect or harsh manner. Paulinas strange relationship also brings the audience to question this womans sense of judgment, and maybe even her past.Ironically, later she refers to him as my little man, contrasting with how he called her, and making incontestable that Gerardo knows that he is her husband, and shes in charge. Further more(prenominal), Dorfman shows the dramatic irony in the gender roles once Paulina finds out about Doctor Mi randa and gets the gun.At the beginning of the play, the gun was a abbreviate of safety and security, and by the climax, she uses the gun to pull wires Roberto and Gerardo to do what she wants, and what she thinks is fair. GERARDO Paulina, Im asking you to please give me that gun. PAULINA no(prenominal) GERARDO While you point it at me, at that place is no possible dialogue. PAULINA On the contrary, as soon as I menses pointing it at you, all dialogue pull up stakes automatically terminate. If it put it d testify, youll use your specialness to win the argument.(Death and the Maiden, Act 1, scene 4, pgs- 24-25) Paulina knows that without the gun, she is hopeless. Her own husband wont hark to her, and they think shes completely crazy. altogether she wants is justice and to make things even between her presumable rapist, Dr. Miranda, and her. However, the strength shes is referring to is propagate to the audiences interpretation. It might admit something to do with his metap horical strength, his job as a lawyer, is to bring out justice and put things back the way they were the way things have always been done.A more farfetched idea is that it could be a reference to his physical strength, since men are generally stronger than women, which relates to the fact that Paulina was raped and tortured, making reference to sort of, in a way, daring him to physically win over her. In conclusion, Ariel Dorfman uses foreshadowing to help the audience shape their own ideas and theories regarding the play, yet uses dramatic irony to, in a way, hint the plot to sort of give it an raise turn of events, like the gender roles in Death and the Maiden? and give the audience something they hadnt thought of, hence, the irony.