Quitte pour la peur, nuances de l’ironie

In a landmark article, André Jarry proposed the term ironie rose (pink irony) to describe the dominant tone of Quitte pour la peur. We construe the study of irony in this text in a strictly literary perspective and show its manifestations, operation, nuances and purpose. Vigny’s irony neatly encompasses the deliberately moralizing form of the dramatic proverb and plays a Socratic role, inviting the spectator to engage in moral reflection.