Ironic statements and situations in literature develop readers' interest. Irony makes a literary work more intriguing and requires readers to use their imagination and understand the underlying meanings of the texts. Moreover, real life is full of ironic expressions and situations. Therefore, the use of irony brings a literary work closer to life. Irony vs. Coincidence Although irony can be a great literary tool in a work when used correctly, there is still a lot of confusion surrounding the exact definition of the term. Situational irony is the type of irony most likely to be mislabeled. Situational irony is defined as: the inconsistency between what one might expect and what actually happens. The big problem with the concept of situational irony is that it is often confused with that of coincidence. Coincidence is defined as: a sequence of events which, although accidental, appear to have been planned or arranged. Pay close attention, because this is where things get confusing. To characterize a fact or event as ironic is to make a statement about the relationship between the reality of a fact or event and the expectations regarding that fact or event. On the other hand, to characterize a fact or event as coincidence is to make a statement about the relationship between that fact or event and another independent fact or event. Events are often confused with irony because situational irony involves some degree of coincidence. The important difference being that for something to qualify as ironic it must be both coincidental and contradictory in a way that is humorous or poignant and extremely improbable.