The Use Of Sarcasm In Dialogue

When you are writing dialogue for your characters, a good way to make it unique is to make their language suit the nature of their personalities. A very good way to do this is to inject a little sarcasm into the conversation between characters.
The use of sarcasm in literature goes back as far as the Bible. There are many examples of sarcasm throughout the Scriptures. For example, in Exodus 14:11, Moses, who was leading the Israelites out of Egypt, is asked: "Was there a lack of graves in Egypt, that you took us away to die in the wilderness?"
Even Shakespeare used the technique in his great works, especially with his protagonists. The most sarcastic in my opinion was Hamlet, who used sarcasm not as a form of humour but as a form of aggression. Hamlet Act One, Scene Two: "Thrift, thrift, Horatio! The funeral bak'd meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables."
If you listen to any close friends conversing with each other, you will always find some sarcasm creeping into the conversation. Why? Because it is fun, and it shows the relationship is a strong one that can withstand a little ridicule. I use sarcasm a lot in my writing projects; some characters will use it rarely, and some every time they open their mouths. So how can you write sarcasm in a way that the reader understands? How can you ensure there is no mistake that their comments come from a place of fun, and not something more sinister?
The timing is crucial – sarcasm and jokes used in dialogue are a great respite from a very tense moment in your storyline. You can also use it during a romantic scene to show a deepening affection between two characters. However, there is nothing worse than a badly timed joke and the same can be said for sarcasm. For example, a character is being bullied by their employer and they use sarcasm as a rebuttal under their breath.
Remember that the use of sarcasm has to fit the character's personality and the context of the scene. A good way to relay the context of a sarcastic comment is by the use of facial expressions. A glint in the eye, or a smile to themselves, a laugh, and a raised eyebrow all convey that the comment is made in good humour. Another less well known expression would be a vacant, poker-faced look. These all show the character's aim is a mischievous one. The character's personality must suit the use of sarcasm, or as a way to show that the character is changing into a more confident person, as with the bullied employee earlier. There must always be a reason for the use of sarcasm by a character, either to break tension, to diffuse an argument or when another character says something ridiculous. Even if you have created a sarcastic character, there must always be a reason for its use, otherwise it is going to become irritating for the reader.
One key point to remember is that sarcasm is more of a Western trait and some cultures just do not understand the concept. An example of how you can use this to your advantage is to create two differing characters, one that thrives on sarcasm and another that doesn’t. Putting those two together in a scene would make quite an interesting read.