Irony of Darrow’s torture
It is ironic that Jackal kept Darrow alive to torture him, for selfish reasons of revenge, which in turn saved Darrow’s life and enabled the Sons of Ares and the oppressed rise against tyranny. This decision ultimately also caused Jackal’s demise and death.
Irony of the fight
Looking down upon the city of Ares, where Sevro and the Sons provided refugee for the hundreds of thousands of oppressed, Sevro reveals the difficulties of controlling the people, where they quickly turn against each other and kill. Darrow comments feeling like a prisoner digging through a wall only to find himself in another cell-a metaphor that perfectly describes the irony of their situation.
Death begets death
A phrase that was often used throughout the trilogy, death begets death describes the irony of revenge, which could turn into a never-ending cycle. Cassius wants revenge on Darrow, Sevro wants revenge on Cassius etc.
Irony of the Gold tyrants
The irony of the main villains of the trilogy, the Gold tyrants is that they are prone to believe in their own lies. Archgovernor Augustus and Octavia de Lune believed that the cruelty and their deeds were necessary for the greater good, for the humanity to survive. They believe that the oppression and slavery is necessary for a greater good, leaving out the part that the good they talk about includes only those like them and exclude all the others.
