Examples Of Dramatic Irony In The Landlady

This short story was an interesting one in the course as it had aspects I liked, but also has a big problem. One thing I liked about this story was the irony of Billy’s situation. He was an upcoming businessman that was on a mission to do everything briskly simply because all the successful big shots at the head office were brisk all the time. To be “brisk” means that one is sharp and is aware of everything. The lack of this quality was his tragic flaw because he wasn’t sharp enough to realize that the Landlady was utterly insane. He is completely oblivious to the multiple hints on that he should get out of there. This leads to the glaring problem in the story… It should have never even happened. If Billy Weaver had any bit of common sense like a normal person, he would have gotten out of there at the very first sign of her …show more content…
However, the signs continue as there are no other people staying there, only two other names in the guestbook (which he recognizes and believes he has heard about before and they haven’t stayed here in over a year), the fact that she was a taxidermist for a living and stuffed her dog and her weird, dotty personality. The dramatic irony is so evident as the reader is practically screaming at Billy to get the fuck out of that house!! This is one of those pieces of literature that you wish you could say something to Billy because everyone knows what’s coming except for himself. Sadly, there is no way to communicate with Billy, and the final line of the story is the Landlady saying “No, my dear, only you” implying that he has been the only guest to stay there in the past year and he will die. Although Billy should have seen it coming, the Landlady did a few smart things to go about her murdering. The potassium cyanide in the tea (what gave it a slight almond taste) was a sneaky move for sure and making the rate of the B&B to be fairly