Exercise
Irony in Classic Fables and Fairy Tales
Spot different forms of irony in classic fables and traditional fairy tales. Analyze how unexpected outcomes or character choices shape these stories.
Questions
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MultiChoice
In 'The Tortoise and the Hare', the speedy Hare loses the race to the slow Tortoise because he takes a nap. What type of irony is this?
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In 'Little Red Riding Hood', the reader knows the wolf is dressed in Grandma's clothes, but Red Riding Hood thinks it is her grandmother. What type of irony is this?
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If Little Red Riding Hood looked at the wolf's big ears and sarcastically said, 'My, what small ears you have!', what irony would that be?
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MultiChoice
In 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf', the boy repeatedly lies about a wolf. When a real wolf arrives, no one helps him because they think he is lying. The outcome where his tricks cause his own undoing is:
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MultiChoice
In 'Snow White', the evil queen disguised as an old woman gives Snow White an apple. The reader knows it is poisoned, but Snow White does not. This is:
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In a fairy tale, a knight boasts that he is invincible against all magic, but gets turned into a frog by touching a tiny enchanted flower. This unexpected defeat is:
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MultiChoice
A giant in a story says 'I am so scared of you!' to a tiny mouse before crushing a boulder with his fist. The giant's words are an example of:
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In 'Cinderella', the audience knows Cinderella dropped the glass slipper, but the Prince travels the kingdom unaware of who the mystery girl is. This is:
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In the fable 'The Ants and the Grasshopper', the grasshopper spends all summer singing and laughing at the ants. In winter, he must beg the ants for food. The outcome is:
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MultiChoice
In 'Hansel and Gretel', Gretel tricks the witch into leaning into the oven by pretending she does not know how to check the fire. The audience knows Gretel's real plan. This is:
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A fable features a crow who boasts about how smart he is, but drops his cheese when tricked by a fox's simple compliment. This is:
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MultiChoice
Why are fables often rich in situational irony?