Dramatic Irony In Oedipus The King

When Sophocles penned Oedipus Rex, he opened up massive debate on what it means to be human. The play allows readers to follow Oedipus, a tragic hero condemned to death, as he makes his way through his final days in Thebes before he is exiled. As readers, we see Oedipus fall from grace, and with the use of dramatic irony it makes it that much more difficult. Upon analyzing Oedipus, it becomes evident that there are distinguished connections between him and Christ, and that in some ways Oedipus could be seen as a Christ figure. This can be depicted from three major points: their connections as tragic hero’s, their intentions to do good, and their sacrificial deaths and doomed fates.

When analyzing the archetype of a tragic hero, it becomes
Before the play begins, readers understand the backstory to Oedipus as he was the people of Thebes salvation since he solved the sphinx’s riddle and in turn took over the throne of Thebes. The play opens with Oedipus addressing Thebes in regards to the current epidemic that is sweeping through Thebes. Simple uses of diction allow readers to gain insight into Oedipus’ passion as a leader. In the monologue on pg1, Oedipus refers to the people of Thebes as “children.” Referring to his subjects as “children” infers how Oedipus does care for the people in the same way that he would care for his children. As Oedipus continues to discuss the sickness within Thebes he states, “and in in your sickness there is not one of you as sick as I.” This quotation perfectly illustrates the stress Oedipus is feeling about the plague wiping out Thebes. The tone of sadness in the monologue illustrates to readers that Oedipus genuinely does care about Thebes unlike many other tyrants throughout history. From this example, it is clear that Oedipus does care about, and for the people of Thebes. This characteristic is extremely important as it creates a direct link between Oedipus and Christ as both of them made significant changes, and bettered people in the process. One specific example from the life of Christ that creates a direct link between Oedipus and Christ is that of the healing in Matthew 8:513. In this verse, Christ is able to heal the servant of a centurion who suffers from palsy. Within this verse we see the good intentions of Christ, similar to Oedipus, and how both men wanted to use their power to aid others and create a better society. Actions like these are plentiful, as the Bible goes into detail of the deeds of Christ including: healing the deaf and blind, as well as feeding people. The connection between Christ and Oedipus becomes clearer upon delving into