Marie-Adele's Death (Situational Irony)
The climax of the play occurs at "THE BIGGEST BINGO IN THE WORLD." The scene is a heightened and theatrical representation of the bingo, a wild phantasmagoria that becomes surrealistic and over-the-top. At its climax, the Bingo Master whispers "Bingo" in Marie-Adele's ear after waltzing with her. For a moment, it seems as though this is meant to represent Marie-Adele's victory in the game, before we quickly realize that she is actually dying. This death is an ironic one, in that it occurs in the midst of the bingo game, the event that the women drove so far and sacrificed so much to attend. It is a tragic irony, a loss that comes too soon and is staged in a farcical, outrageous, and ebullient way.
Emily is Pregnant (Dramatic Irony)
On the van ride to Toronto, we are given a hint that Emily is pregnant when Zhaboonigan hits her stomach and she is very protective of it. Then later, she reveals to Zhaboonigan that she is pregnant with Big Joey's baby, which creates some dramatic irony, in that the audience is privy to information that other characters are not.
Nanabush (Dramatic Irony)
Sometimes the characters are aware of the spiritual and physical presence of Nanabush, and other times they are not. Given the structure of the play, the audience is always aware of Nanabush and the way that Nanabush is meddling in the characters' affair, which creates a kind of dramatic irony.
The Toilet (Situational Irony)
Philomena is the only Rez Sister to win at bingo in Toronto. She uses her $600 to buy herself a brand new toilet bowl. While this comes as no surprise—she was planning on using it to purchase a toilet bowl from the start—there is a humorous irony in the purchase, the fact that with all that money, she wants to buy a household item that is reserved for defecation. The contrast between the amount of money and the function of the item that Philomena uses the money to purchase is ironic.
