Dramatic Irony: Irony of Suffering
The book portrays Job as a righteous person. The dramatic irony is presented where the audience wonders why an upright person like Job should suffer. The prose writer describes Job as a blameless person who fears God. However, the same God subjects Job to sufferings. The audience knows that Job does nothing to aggravate his troubles. Generally, a righteous person does not deserve punishment. Therefore, it is ironic for God to punish Job yet he has not committed a sin.
Verbal Irony: Irony of Righteousness
In the book of Job chapter 1 verse 8, God tells Satan “He is blameless and upright” referring to Job. Despite all the praises, God budges to Satan’s demands to kill Job’s children and rob him of his wealth. Readers cannot understand why God describes Job as a blameless and upright man and goes ahead to punish him severely. Job is used as a pawn in the contest between God and Satan. This should not have happened because God had considered Job as an upright person.
Dramatic Irony: Irony of Retribution
The three friends of Job insist that he has committed a sin and God is punishing him for his transgressions. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar believe that righteous people do not suffer. Therefore, they opine that Job is not righteous and he must have committed a sin. However, readers know that Job has not committed any sin and God punishes him to test his faith.
Comic Irony: Irony of Mockery
The comic irony is displayed in the book of Job 30: 1-15. Here, Job mocks himself for being poor and suffering. He makes fun of himself by stating that younger men are ridiculing him. The poor men whom he used to disdain are now richer than him. As a result, their children are mocking him and keeping a distance from him. The audience perceives this mockery as an irony. Indeed, it is an irony for poor men’s children to mock another poor person.
Situational Irony: Irony of testing a person’s faith.
In the entire book, Job’s troubles are attributed to the test of his faith in God. It is ironic to test a righteous man by means of punishment. The situational irony comes from the audience not expecting a blameless and upright person to be subjected to pain. Job experiences a painful situation in the name of testing his faith. Readers do not see the sense of inflicting pain to a person who is faithful to you all along.
