The story is a satire on the conceit of those in power.

How does the author employ the literary device of dramatic irony in the story?

The story “The Tiger King” is a satire on the conceit of those in power. It is well known that the rulers in the past mostly neglected the needs of the people and showed little interest in working for public welfare. Instead, they spend their time, living luxuriously and leisurely off the taxes of the people and in foolish pursuits. Even the courtiers take undue advantage of their power. The story is full of instances of irony that reveals the follies of tyrannical rulers who disregard Nature and bend laws to suit their selfish wishes. The author employs dramatic irony in the story by a twist of fate when the bullet of the Maharaja fails to kill the hundredth tiger and he remains unaware of it. In vain attempts to prove the astrologer wrong, the Maharaja had killed 100 tigers but by failing to kill the last tiger and celebrating his 'triumph' over his fate, Maharaja had invited death as he is ironically killed by a little wooden toy tiger.