Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Essay

In the play written by Sophocles, Oedipus the King, there be several(prenominal) instances of irony. Dramatic irony, or tragic irony as some critics would privilege to call it, usually means a situation in which the geek of the play has limited friendship and says or does something in which they have no idea of the significance. The audience, however, already has the knowledge of what is going to occur or what the consequences of the characters actions go away be. The degree of irony and the effect it has depends upon the readers grasp and recognition of some chance variable between two things.Our first taste of dramatic irony comes precise early into the play when Oedipus vows to bring to justice the killer of Laius, which is in domain himself. When he learns that the bringing of justice of Laius killer will rid the city of a terrible plague, he sets forth with a plan to scotch down the killer. Oedipus begins to curse the killer and vowsOedipus As for the criminal, I pray to immortal Whether it be a lurking thief, or one of a number I pray that that mans life be consumed in deplorable and wretchedness.And as for me, this curse applies no less (968)This is very ironic, as Oedipus is indeed, without knowledge of the impartiality, talking about himself.Another example of dramatic irony is the agent of delegate and Oedipus powerlessness against it. Throughout the play we argon aware of Oedipus fate and we realize there is nothing that he can do to intensify it. When Oedipus tells his city after listening to their plea for help against the terrible unwellness and plague that has taken over the cityOedipus I know that you are deathly sick and yet,Sick as you are, not one is as sick as I. (963)The audience understands the truth and the irony in that statement. Oedipus should not worry about himself becoming sick for he is already infested with the sickness.A third example of the irony of Oedipus is the fact that Oedipus seemed to be blind and deaf to the truth. He appears to be on a valiant search for the truth and justice of the killer of Laius, yet refuses to fall upon the truth when it is spoken to him. In order to hear the truth Oedipus needed to be able to hear and interpret it, yet he only heard what he cute to hear. Therefore rendering him unable to understand the mystery of who he sincerely yours was.In this play there seems to be a constant line of ironies throughout. Oedipus is in denial of the truth. In his dramatic speeches he misconstrues the information that he has been given by Teiresias, as well as Creon and Iocaste. The horrifying credit that the prophecy of the Sphinx is in fact the truth, causes Oedipus to blind himself. The audience therefore pities him, which is a result of the use of dramatic irony. The use of irony in a play allows the writer to make their audience want to see how the events which are occurring, mentally affect the main character, even if they already know how the fabrication will e nd, as in Oedipus the King.Kennedy, X.J., and Gioia Dana. Oedipus the King Literature An Introduction toFiction, Poetry, and Drama. second edition. New York Addison Wesley Longman,2000. 960-1005.