Final answer:
Dramatic irony is a literary device where the audience has knowledge that the characters do not, creating a contrast between character perception and audience understanding. 'Ben-Hur' could use this technique by revealing the protagonist's fate or other key information to the audience while keeping the characters in the dark.
Step-by-step explanation:
Dramatic irony in literature occurs when the audience knows something that the characters do not, leading to a situation where actions and events have a different meaning for the audience and the characters. It is often used to create suspense or to highlight the difference between a character's understanding of a situation and the reality of that situation as understood by the audience. In Ben-Hur, an example of dramatic irony might involve the protagonist's actions or fate being revealed to the audience while remaining unknown to the character, thereby engaging the audience further by making them privy to outcomes that the characters are oblivious to. While specific instances in Ben-Hur aren't provided here, typical scenarios involve the audience knowing the true identity of a character that other characters are unaware of, or being aware of a looming disaster that the characters are about to confront without any forewarning.