Samuel Clemens profile

hundred plays, but only seven of them have survived the

centuries in their entirety. Certainly the best known of his

surviving plays is "Oedipus Rex." The plot of the play

hinges on the element of irony. Irony can be defined as "a

combination of circumstances or a result that is the

opposite of what is or might be expected or considered

appropriate," (Guralnik, Webster's, 1968, p. 745). Irony is

one of the prevailing and defining characteristics of the

The first event that sets the whole tragic tale in

motion is when Laius, King of Thebes, is told by a prophet

that any child that is born to him and his queen, Jocasta,

will murder him. Therefore, when a child is born to him, he

pierces the baby's ankles with a spike, ties them together,

and has a servant leave the child on Mount Cithaeron to die

from exposure. This is ironic because if Laius had not

attempted to murder his own child, Oedipus would not have

been found and raised by strangers. He would have known

Jocasta was his mother. Ironically(and disgustingly, Oedipus

marries her and produces several children). Also, without

. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
Dear Children, King Laius, Oedipus Jocasta, Oedipus Rex, Confused Oedipus, Mount Cithaeron, Green Frank, King Thebes, Yes OedipusI, King Queen, oedipus rex, oedipus jocasta, freudian interpretation, ironic laius, king laius, father oedipus, child born, prophecy fulfilled, king thebes, oedipus found,
Approximate Word count = 1366
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)