As You Like It: 1

"I'll have no worse a name than Jove's own page; and therefore look you call me Ganymede. But what will you be called?"
"Something that hath a reference to my state; no longer Celia, but Aliena." (Page 15, I, iii)

This quote is an example of dramatic irony. The audience knows that these are the disguises that Rosalind and Celia will be in for the majority of the remainder of the play. However, the characters are unaware of the disguises and treat them as third party people. The other characters act as if Rosalind and Celia are not present. This is especially evident when Gandymede offers to help Orlando with his love sickness with Rosalind. Since dramatic irony is present, readers are able to learn the characters feelings and intents more clearly because characters can speak freely. Dramatic irony is used to allow the reader understand the full picture of what is happening in the play. It also is useful because it creates a bit of suspense with the readers because they wonder when and under what circumstances they will be revealed. Te dramatic irony is effective because as readers we know what is really going on, but some characters are left in the dark.