Sophocles use of dramatic irony in Oedipus Rex

King Oedipus by Sophocles is one of the great classical tragedies. In this play the playwright deals with the fundamental issues of human life on earth. Sophocles has certain philosophy and outlook about life to explain to the audience. To draw the attention of the audience to the issues of life, the playwright has very brilliantly used the literary device of dramatic irony. In this play dramatic irony is a means by which the playwright could successfully retain the interest of the audience up to the end of the play.

Dramatic irony is a situation where character is unaware of something, which audience knows. Dramatic irony involves readers knowing what is happening in the plot, where as the characters have no knowledge about it. It reveals the words and actions of a character to be contradictory to the actual situation. Among the Greek playwright Sophocles used dramatic irony effectively in his play king Oedipus.

An analysis of the play reveals the fact that dramatic irony is used in most of the speeches and situations. The firm declaration of Oedipus is that he will find out the murderer of king Laius is highly ironical because he himself will be found out to be the murderer of the king. In the first episode, Oedipus, opening speech to the gathered Thebeans is filled with dramatic irony. The Greek audience knew that Oedipus had killed his father. Thus being aware of his fate, the audience could recognize the horror of Oedipus’ threat against the murderer of king Laius.

The encounter between Oedipus and Tieresias is the most ironical incident in the play. Tieresias is the blind prophet who knows everything. Oedipus appeals to the prophet to exercise his power and give him the name and identity of the murderer of king Laius. But Tieresias does not like to disclosure the secret that he knows. Tiresias warns Oedipus in his prediction that the killer of Laius will ultimately find himself blind, destitute, an exile and also to be the brother of his own children and son of his own wife.

Dramatic irony is also found the scene between Oedipus and Creon. Creon begs Oedipus not to call him a traitor and punish him without proper reason. But Oedipus blinded by his authority and pride turns him out. But in the final scene the roles are overturned. There Creon is the king and Oedipus begs him to look after his daughter and entreats him to pass the order of banishment against him.

There is also tragic irony in Jocasta’s account of the oracle. Jocasta informs Oedipus of his father’s death, from natural causes, to remove his conviction in the prophecy that he will murder his own father, and marry his mother. Dramatic

irony is invoked, because this new information by Jocasta actually makes the prophecy come to light.

The arrival of the Corinthian messenger heightens the ironical situation. Oedipus fears to return to Corinth in case of he fulfills the prophecy by marrying his own mother Merope. But the messenger assures him that those at Corinth were not his real parents. Thus it makes the situation all the more tragic.

Thus we find that irony lies at the very center of the plot of Oedipus Rex and Sophocles has given an account of himself as a splendid playwright in presenting the tragic irony. It added a whole new dimension to the play and forced readers to look beyond the text and deep into the characters.