Which rhetorical device is most prevalent in the dialogue?

• A. Irony and hyperbole
• B. Paradox and witty one-liners
• C. Metaphor and extended similes
• D. Allegory and symbol

Answer: (B)

The dialogue hinges on paradox and witty one-liners. Oscar Wilde crafts conversations in which characters deliberately say things that seem self-contradictory or inverted, revealing the ridiculousness of social pretensions through compact, memorable quips. This keeps the exchanges quick and playful while also delivering sharp social critique—truths about marriage, class, and identity come through in epigrammatic turns rather than lengthy arguments. While you can find bits of irony, hyperbole, or metaphor, they don’t define the texture of the dialogue the way these paradoxical statements and clever, punchy lines do. That pervasive use of paradox and witty one-liners is what makes the dialogue unmistakably Wilde and why this option is the best fit.