Question

What's the irony in the play the dear departed

Answer 1

the title dear departed ;
where the word departed is for GRANDFATHER and he is tooooooooo dear to his daughters and also their husbands ...
n they literally wait for the grandfather's departure from this world...
they don't even regret his SUDDEN DEATH
they didn't even go to his room to find if he is actually dead but rather preferred to have tea..
They simply assume him to be dead. They do pretend that they are sad but they actually look forward to get his property and wealth.
.
.
Finally, in the end of the play when they realize that the grandfather is alive and he wants to alter his will, they quarrel in front of him.
...... Thus, the departed is dear only for a short period.....n.

Answer 2

heya!!
as the name suggests 'the dear departed' , actually the dear, Mr. Abel Merryweather was not considered so called 'dear' by anyone, instead his daughters considered him to be a burden for them, so they always tried to push him one way or the other, to get rid of him.
But as soon as the both sisters realized that he was not dead, and he would be leaving all his money with whom he will be living at the time of his death, the sisters started to convince him to stay with them.
This proves to us that, for the sisters , grandpa was not dear, instead his money was 'dear'.
This is the irony of the drama- The Dear Departed.

hope it helps ☺️