Irony in Oedipus Rex
Irony is an important part in Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles. The play revolves around two attempts to change fate: Jocasta and Laius's killing of Oedipus at birth and Oedipus's flight from Corinth. In both occasions, an oracle's prophecies come true regardless of the characters' actions. Jocasta sends Oedipus off to death only to find his health restored and married to her. Oedipus flees from Corinth and in doing so, he finds his real parents carrying out the oracle's words. Each time when Oedipus and Jocasta try to interfere with the future that the oracles predict, the audience knows that their attempts are useless which creates irony throughout the play. Furthermore, Jocasta and Oedipus express their disbelief in oracles which appears ironic to the audience. In attempt to calm Oedipus, Jocasta tells him that the oracles are false, yet in the next scene, she is at an alter praying to the gods whose powers she has just denied. Oedipus rejoices when he finds Polybus to be dead because he believes that this is a sign that the oracles are fallible. Oedipus will not return to Corinth because of the oracle's statement about Merope may come true. Jocasta and Oedipus continue to believe that the oracles may be right, that gods c
A drunken man tells Oedipus that he is a bastard. With Oedipus's pride is so wounded, he will not let the subject alone and eventually goes to the oracle of Apollo to ask it the truth. The oracle's prophecy is the reason why Oedipus leaves Corinth, and in leaving Corinth and venturing into Thebes, he fulfills the oracle's prophecy. In the early part of the play, Oedipus's pride continues to be a flaw that leads to the story's tragic ending. He is too proud to believe in the words of the prophet, Teiresias, and chooses to rely on his own powers of truth. Teiresias warns him not to snoop into these prophecies, but the pride in his intelligence makes Oedipus continue his search for truth. He values truth attained through enquiry over words and warnings from the gods which is the consequence of his pride. This ironically, again, leads to the same outcome as the prophecies of the oracles. an predict the future, and of course the audience knows that is true. Oedipus discounts the power of the gods; therefore, he values the power of truth. Oedipus counts on his own ability to seek the truth rather than rely on the gods' power. The irony is that the oracles and Oedipus's seek for truth lead to the same outcome. Oedipus's search for truth reveals that the oracles' prophecies are true. Ironically, it is Oedipus's rejection of the oracles that proves their prophecies to be true. Regardless of the way one reads the play, Oedipus Rex is a powerful work of drama and tragedy. Breaking up the events of the play into the moments before and after Oedipus's realization, Sophocles heightens the dramatic tragedy. Using dramatic irony to i
Some common words found in the essay are:
Jocasta Oedipus, Soon Oedipus, Oedipus Thebes's, Ironically Oedipus's, Oedipus Rex, Teiresias Teiresias, Oedipus Jocasta, Jocasta Laius's, Thebes Sphinx, Rex Sophocles, sphinx's riddle, prophecies true, play oedipus, jocasta oedipus, events play, search truth, intelligence makes, change fate jocasta, audience attempt, pride intelligence, throughout play, oedipus's search truth,
Approximate Word count = 1110
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
