What role does dramatic irony play in storytelling?

Dramatic irony significantly enhances storytelling by allowing the audience to possess knowledge that the characters do not. This disparity creates a deeper engagement with the narrative, as viewers are privy to information that can affect their interpretation of events and character motivations. For instance, in plays and films where a character is unaware of a crucial fact that the audience knows, the tension builds as viewers anticipate how the character will react once they find out, generating emotional investment in the outcome.

While suspense plays a role in storytelling, it often emerges from the moments when the audience knows more than the characters, but it is this knowledge aspect specifically that defines dramatic irony. Humor can also stem from such situations, but it's not the primary function of dramatic irony. Additionally, while irony can lead to resolutions in some cases, that is not its primary role in storytelling either.