Question

"The prophecy foretold that King Gallant would lose his crown to an

individual with red hair, so he rounded up all the redheads in the
kingdom and banished them to the neighboring kingdom of Galtria.
When he had finished, the king gathered his most loyal knights and
went on a journey to seize the legendary Sacred Fleece from a rival
king
While the king was away, the queen began to worry. The princess, who
was only a baby when the king left on his quest for the fleece, was
starting to grow hair for the first time - red hair. Suddenly, a page
rushed into the throne room and announced, 'The king is returning!'
Which statement best explains the text's use of dramatic irony?
A. When the queen realizes that the princess has red hair, the author
uses the color red to symbolize the blood the king will spill.
B. When the king banishes all redheads to a neighboring kingdom,
the audience knows that the banished subjects will ultimately take
up arms against him.
C. When the queen realizes that the princess has red hair, the reader
becomes aware that the king will react negatively to his daughter.
D. When the king banishes all redheads to a neighboring kingdom, it
becomes apparent that he will have to learn to accept fate rather
than fight it."

Answer 1

The best explanation for the text's dramatic irony is that the audience knows the king's own daughter has the red hair foretold in the prophecy, which he himself attempted to thwart, thus highlighting themes of fate and hubris.The correct option is c.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that best explains the text's use of dramatic irony is C. When the queen realizes that the princess has red hair, the reader becomes aware that the king will react negatively to his daughter.

This instance encapsulates the essence of dramatic irony, where the audience knows something pivotal that the characters in the story do not, namely that the princess, being the king's own daughter, is the one with red hair that the prophecy forewarned.

The king's efforts to prevent the prophecy by banishing the redheads are rendered futile by his own bloodline. This situation also hints at the fate versus free will theme, as the king's attempt to escape destiny backfires due to his own actions.

There's a deeper literary resonance to this revelation; it often occurs in narratives where a character's hubris, or excessive pride, causes them to overlook the most obvious truths, leading to their downfall. The dramatic irony heightens the emotional impact of the story, as the audience foresees the impending conflict between the king's decree and his love for his child.