Oedipus and A Doll's House
Dramatic irony depends on the audience's knowing something that a character has not yet realized, or on one character's knowing something that other characters do not know. It is a crucial literary tool used by authors, poets, and playwrights in some of the most famous stories ever told. Dramatic irony can serve many purposes. It can build suspense, excitement, and allows for a crucial climax. It makes the audience more involved in the story and in touch with the characters. Two examples of dramatic irony can be found in Sophocles' Oedipus the King and in Henrik Ibsen' A Doll House. These are two drastically different stories, yet both Oedipus the King and A Doll House incorporate dramatic as a significant part of each story. The story of Oedipus is a well-known tale. The protagonist is the famous mythical man who is destined to kill his own father and marry his mother. This is a Greek myth known long before Sophocles dramatized it. This entails that the audience is already aware of the outcome. However, Oedipus is not. Oedipus does not know that he is the one responsible for the murder of king Laius. Nor does he know that King Laius is his natural father. And he does not know that he has wed his mother. This is commo
n knowledge to the audience, thus the audience knows more than the protagonist does. J. Michael Walton states in his overview of Oedipus the King that, "The unusual structure of Oedipus the King gives one reason for it's abiding popularity. All the significant action has already taken place before the play begins" (52). In A Doll House, the dramatic irony takes on a slightly different form. In this story, not only does the audience become aware of something that another character does not know, but other characters are aware of circumstances that another character does not know of. The main character, Nora, borrowed money years ago under false pretences. Her husband, Torvald was deathly ill and needed to be moved to a warmer climate for a time. He was not aware of the severity of his illness. He was also not aware that in order to make the trip, Nora forged her father's signature to take out a loan. Nora is aware of everything; Torvald knows nothing. He does not know that he was on the verge of death. He does not know that his wife illegally took out a loan. And he is not aware of the influence that Krogstad has over his reputation and his marriage. Torvald is ignorant of all of these circumstances. The most significant case of irony is obvious in Oedipus because everyone but Oedipus is aware that the prophecy came true but there are more subtle hints of irony found in the story, also. One such example is that Oedipus was destined to be the king of Thebes no matter what. Oedipus ironically holds the position of king being that his birth father held the thro
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Approximate Word count = 1065
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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