Marriage A-La-Mode

Marriage A-La-Mode Irony

Palamede wooing Rhodophil's wife, Rhodophil wooing Palamede's fiancée (Dramatic Irony)

Rhodophil and Palamede are good friends, and each approves of the other seeking out a woman as a mistress in addition to his legitimate love interest. Ironically, each man is unknowingly pursuing the other's legitimate love interest. Palamede is courting Rhodophil's neglected wife Doralice; Rhodophil is pursuing Palamede's fiancée Melantha. While the two men eventually realize this, the audience/reader is aware before, so there is a discrepancy between what we know and what the characters know.

Leonidas and Palmyra's affair (Dramatic Irony)

Leonidas and Palmyra are presented to Polydamas as having been raised together by Hermogenes. When Hermogenes presents Leonidas as the rightful heir to Polydamas' throne, he must leave them home in Hermogenes' fisherman's cabin. When everyone exits the stage, the audience learns that Palmyra and Leonidas are in love, even though no one knows.

Doralice and Rhodophil walking in opposite directions (Situational Irony)

At the beginning of Act 3, Doralice and Rhodophil put on quite a show of their love for Artemis, the servant. They fawn over one another like young lovers. However, ironically enough, when Artemis leaves, the spouses walk in opposite directions, completely repelled by one another.

Doralice and Melantha dressed as a boy (Dramatic Irony)

Doralice dresses as a boy to observe Palamede and to interact with him in public without anybody else knowing. When "he" asserts that "he" knows Doralice well and banters with Palamede, Palamede declares that he would recognize Doralice anywhere and that she is definitely not among the masqueraders, but is lying in bed at home waiting for him. Ironically, Doralice is standing right in front of him, but he has no idea.