In The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde there are many recurring themes. They include love, friendship and beauty. However, the theme that stuck out the most was irony. Throughout the story, there are tons of ironic instances. The Swallow, a small, nomadic bird, is in love with a reed, a tall, domestic plant. The Swallow loves her because of how beautiful she is, but she is not loyal to him. “I love travelling, and my wife, consequently, should love travelling also” said the Swallow about the Reed on page 2. Sometimes love is not what you think. Beauty and sacrifice from both the Swallow and the Reed do not end up becoming a match. Continuing with irony, the Swallow stays in the cold city when autumn falls, and then even when winter drops. He knows he can’t survive the harsh conditions, but something more is compelling him. The Happy Prince might be the most ironic character of all. He is clearly the most beautiful sight in all the city. He is covered in gold, has sapphire eyes and his sword hilt is made of rubies. The charity children compare him to an angel on page 1. However, The Happy Prince is very sad and weeps all night because he can’t help the paupers of the city. Irony runs through this story even more so. After the Swallow does his first good deed he returns to The Happy Prince and says, “It is curious, but I feel quite warm now, although it is so cold.” There is no warmer feeling than that of helping others.