Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Rex Essay - 3192 Words

Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Rex M. H. Abrams defines dramatic irony as a situation wherein: â€Å"the audience or reader shares with the author knowledge of present or future circumastances of which a character is ignorant; in that situation, the character unknowingly acts in a way we recognize to be grossly inappropriate to the actual circumstances, or expects the opposite of what we know that fate holds in store, or says something that anticipates the actual outcome, but not aat all in the way that the character intends†(137). Let us explore that feature in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. From the very outset of the tragedy, Sophocles relies on heavy irony. E. T. Owens in â€Å"Drama in Sophocles’ Oedipus†¦show more content†¦In the first scene the Theban priest invokes Oedipus as the â€Å"saviour† from the plague, when in fact he is its cause. Later Oedipus will curse the man who was his savior from death when he was exposed on the mountain in infancy (1349-54). Despite all the attempts to avoid the three oracles – the oracles to Laius in the remote past, to Oedipus some 20 years ago at Delphi, and to Thebes in the present – they all come true (76). Van Nortwick describes Oedipus’supreme self-confidence, an irony of the play, at the beginning: As ruler, he is a father to Thebes and its citizens, and like a father he will take care of his â€Å"children.† We see already the supreme self-confidence and ease of command in Oedipus, who can address not only other people’s children as his own, but also be a father to men older than he is. But beyond even this there is, in the sretched posture of the citizens, the hint of prostration before a deity. We are â€Å"clinging to your altars,† says the priest. . . . That he also exudes a godlike mastery in the eyes of his subjects only strengthens the heroic portrait. . .Show MoreRelatedVerbal Irony In Oedipus Rex941 Words   |  4 Pages‘Oedipus Rex’ is a tragic play written by Sophocles, that is known for its countless examples of irony found within it. The story of Oedipus is a classic Greek tragedy. Oedipus is the son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta in Thebes. The Oracle at Delphi reveals to them the tragic fate within their family. Their son Oedi pus was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. To try and prevent this horrendous fate, King Laius sends his son to be terminated at the mountain of Kithairon. Although KingRead More The Role of Teiresias in Sophocles Oedipus Rex Essay1410 Words   |  6 PagesSophoclesOedipus Rex (the King) Teiresias uses his psychic abilities to foreshadow the anguish and destruction that Oedipus will encounter after he learns the truths of his life. 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Sophocles was a playwright and served as a priest. He had a son with Nicartrata, who was also a playwright. And he also had a son with Theoris. Wrote 123plays but only 7 survived: Ajar, Antigone, Trachinian women, Oedipus Tyrannoss, Electras, Philocetes, and Oedipus at Colonus. Also increased the number of chorus from