The Safety Deposit Box (Dramatic Irony)
A major instance of dramatic irony occurs when Leo tells Oscar and Ben about Horace's safety deposit box, and the fact that Horace is not very diligent about checking its contents. The trio hatches a plan in which Leo will steal bonds from Horace's safety deposit box without him knowing, which creates an instance of dramatic irony when the audience is let in on the plan, while Horace remains unaware.
Horace learns about their plan (Dramatic Irony)
In a reversal of this theft, Horace gets wind of the fact that his nephew and brothers in law have stolen from him, and takes the safety deposit box back to his home. For a brief scene, the audience knows that Horace is gaining the upper hand, while Ben, Oscar, and Leo have no idea.
Attack (Dramatic Irony)
Horace dies at the end of the play and is silenced from telling Ben and Oscar that he has decided to lend the bonds to them. Thus, Regina is able to gain power and money in one decisive move. This is an instance of dramatic irony, because we know that Horace's intentions are not what Regina reports to her brothers. We also know that, in Horace's attack, Regina did nothing to help him, essentially letting him die.
Alexandra leaves her mother (Situational Irony)
The scheming Regina plays it so that she gets 75% of the cotton mill business, achieving the wealth that she has long desired and felt deprived of. However, this major move forward in her financial life comes at a great price. Having seen her mother's immoral behavior and disregard for her ailing father, Alexandra decides to abandon her mother. In an ironic twist, Regina loses the people closest to her right at the moment when she achieves her greatest dream.
