Irony of Leadership
The leaders of the French Revolution said that they would govern France after the revolution, promising a new country founded upon values of equality and liberty. However, as Burke acknowledges, they have no experience of governance. It seems ironic that these leaders suggest they will govern better, when they have no experience of governing themselves.
Irony of Violence
Even though he wrote this text in the early stages of the French Revolution, Burke predicts the violence that would later erupt. After he published the text he was met with responses from supporters of the revolution, saying that the revolution would not turn violent. Ironically, Burke was right in his predictions. A few years after his political pamphlet was published, The Reign of Terror began, which involved massacres and public executions.
Irony of Marie Antoinette
Burke describes Marie Antoinette as "glittering like the morning star, full of life and splendor and joy". This otherworldly description is ironic, as Marie Antoinette was notoriously distant and ignorant about the everyday struggles of the French people. When Marie Antoinette was told that the peasants of France had no bread left, she is reported to have said "Let them eat cake." This phrase suggests her ignorance about the situation in France.
