Question

The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power. How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?

Answer 1

The story "The Tiger King" is a supreme example of dramatic irony.Dramatic irony
refers to a situation where the complete significance of a character's words or actions
is transparent to the audience but is not known to the character.
The character acts in a way grossly inappropriate to the actual circumstances or expects the
opposite of what fate holds in store for him. Kalki has used a very dexterous use of dramatic
irony in the story. After killing the first tiger the King flaunts its dead body before the
astrologer to show that he is more powerful than the tiger. However, the astrologer warns
the king that he should be "careful with the hundredth tiger". The king chooses to prove the
astrologer wrong once again and makes frantic efforts to kill hundred tigers. Thus, having
shot at the old tiger, the Tiger king believes he has killed the hundredth tiger. But the reader
as well as the king's officers and minions soon come to know that the emaciated tiger does
not get killed but only has fainted. The king gets happy of killing the tiger but in actual
ignorance of this ironical fate the prediction proves to be right and mere sliver on wooden
tiger's body causes his dramatic death. Quite ironically the hundredth tiger kills the king
instead and astrologer's predictions stand vindicated.