Foreshadowing and Dramatic Irony in Death and the Maiden Essay

Foreshadowing is the warning or the indication that something else is going to put across later on in the story. In goal and the Maiden, Ariel Dorfman uses this literary device to the maximum, exploring all the different ways he can make the reader predict or fore determine whats going to happen next. However, Dorfman also progenys on the auditory senses ideas and implements dramatic irony, giving the plot a twist of hithertots and making the audience question themselves and their accept theories as to why the character acts that way or why the author set things as they are.Dorfman takes the idea of dramatic irony when referring to the characters and their roles in the victimize. The greatest contrast in the play is between Paulina and Gerardo. Paulina Salas, a forty year old woman, waits for her husband late at night when she sees a car come towards her house. At first, Paulina is presented as the normal housewife, scared, insecure, loyal and loving towards her husband, who might tied(p) 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 little 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 time were supposed to do housework. Yet, during their chats she only gives him sharp, short responses, most of the time seeming even a bit harsh GERARDO Im really not in the mood for arguing, but 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 help but afterward you PAULINA -the car at least.GERARDO afterward you complain. PAULINA I never complain. GERARDO This is an chimerical discussion. Whatre we fighting about? Ive already forgotten what we PAULINA Were not fighting, darling. You accused me of not fixing your spare (Death and the Maiden, Act 1, Scene 1) This conversation shapes the idea of sexuality 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 have authority, but in a more passive-aggressive manner.In addition, oneness can also argue about Paulinas love-haterelationship 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 sure that Gerardo knows that he is her husband, and shes in charge. Furthermore, Dorfman shows the dramatic irony in the sexual urge roles once Paulina finds out about Doctor Miranda and gets the gun.At the beginning of the play, the gun was a sign of safety and security, and by the climax, she uses the gun to manipulate Rob erto and Gerardo to do what she wants, and what she thinks is true(p). GERARDO Paulina, Im asking you to please give me that gun. PAULINA No. GERARDO While you point it at me, there is no possible dialogue. PAULINA On the contrary, as concisely as I stop pointing it at you, all dialogue will automatically terminate. If it put it down, youll use your strength 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 listen to her, and they think shes completely crazy. All 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 open to the audiences interpretation. It might have something to do with his metaphorical strength, his job as a lawyer, is to bring out justice and put things stomach the way they were the way things have always been done.A more farfetched idea is that it could be a reference to his ph ysical strength, since men are in general 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, twist the plot to sort of give it an interesting turn of events, like the gender roles in Death and the Maiden? and give the audience something they hadnt thought of, hence, the irony.