Dramatic Irony In Sophocles Oedipus The King

Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, has a central theme of “one cannot escape their fate.” This theme is created using elements of dramatic irony, including diction, dialogue, and situational irony. This play is a Greek tragedy and it means the audience is already somewhat familiar with the main characters and the plot. The advance knowledge the audience has about what happens is known as dramatic irony. Dramatic irony in Oedipus the King affects the theme of “one cannot escape their fate” because throughout the play the main character has a goal of avoiding what he believes is his dark future. The more Oedipus tries to escape his perceived dark ending, ironically, the closer he moves towards it. The use of dramatic irony means the audience
has a leg up on Oedipus and the true direction Oedipus is headed as he tries to escape his fate. The intention of this essay is to explore the use of dramatic irony and how it supports the key theme of the play. Specifically, this essay will analyze the beginning of the play when Oedipus knows very little about his background, the middle of the play when Oedipus’ knowledge of his life begins to unfold, and the end of the play when he fully understands the truth about his existence and how he is tragically unable to escape his fate.

Early in the play, it is apparent that Oedipus sees his role as a likeable King who is trying to save Thebes from the plague by naming the killer of former King Laius.
Oedipus’ desire to get to the bottom of the King’s murder is the first step that indirectly leads Oedipus into learning the truth about his own life. This part of the story is good use of dramatic irony; Thebes is actually plagued because of Oedipus’ earlier action of killing Laius, ironically making Oedipus the cause of the disease in the city. Oedipus doesn’t realize he is Laius’ killer and instead sees himself as the solver of the mystery. Oedipus, on line 80 demonstrates his ignorance of being the cause of the plague by saying, “After a painful search I found one cure: I acted at once. I sent Creon, my wife’s own brother, to Delphi – Apollo the Prophet’s oracle – to learn what I might do or say to save our city.” On line 110, Oedipus goes on to say, “How can we cleanse ourselves- what rites? What’s the source of the trouble?” An example of how dramatic irony in the play affects the theme is on line 248, where Oedipus says “I will speak out now as a stranger to the story, a stranger to the crime.” This is an example of dramatic irony because Oedipus is ignorant that he is the former King’s killer. He is also ignorant about what needs to be done in order to cleanse the city of Thebes, specifically that Oedipus himself must personally be held responsible for the
crime.

Oedipus enlists the assistance of a blind prophet named Tiresias, who knows the truth of Laius’ murder and the story of Oedipus’ life. Line 360 is an example of dramatic irony through dialogue when Tiresias says “How terrible – to see the truth when the truth is only pain to him who sees!” Since Tiresias is blind, Oedipus is the only one who can actually see during this particular conversation. This comment is directed to Oedipus and gives the audience insider’s knowledge that the truth of what’s happened will hurt Oedipus. It is also ironic that only a blind man sees the truth. On line 385 Tiresias shoots back at Oedipus, saying “You criticize my temper……unaware of the one you live with, you revile me.” Tiresias is ironically pointing out that Oedipus doesn’t know he is married to his own mother, Jocasta. This comment seems to go over Oedipus’ head and confirms to the audience that Oedipus truly does not know the story about the identity of his birth mother. On line 386 Oedipus responds by saying “Who could restrain his anger hearing you?” Oedipus’ comment confirms he hasn’t made the connection between what he believes to be true and actual reality.

Oedipus remains convinced that he escaped his dark faith when he put distance between himself and the village of Corinth. For example on lines 876 – 880, Oedipus tells the story of his early life and he says “I abandoned Corinth, from that day on I gauged its landfall only by the stars, running, always running toward some place where I would never see the shame of all those oracles come true.” This is ironically dramatic because Oedipus thought he was escaping a dark time that had been predicted by an oracle, but the further away Oedipus geographically moved from Corinth the closer he came to his shameful fate.

Two-thirds into the play there are more examples of dramatic irony in a scene with Oedipus’s wife, Jocasta. Jocasta attempts to block Oedipus’s desire for truth about his biological parents. Line 789 demonstrates this when Jocasta refers to Laius’ death. “But Laius so the report goes at least, was killed by strangers.” The audience knows Jocasta is lying and misleading Oedipus in his search for the truth. Jocasta’s remarks play into the play’s theme of “One cannot escape their fate” when she says on line 1173 “You’re doomed – may you never fathom who you are!” This is dramatic irony because the audience understands that Jocasta knows who Oedipus actually is and how he has already fulfilled his dark destiny. The story turns again when Oedipus learns about the death of his foster father, Polybus.
At the same time, Oedipus shows concern for his foster mother, Merope. He still believes that Polybus and Merope are his birth parents. As a result Oedipus is afraid to be close to Merope because of the oracle’s prediction that Oedipus would become his mother’s lover. Jocasta replies to Oedipus’ concerns by saying, (line 1070) “What should a man fear? It’s all chance, chance rules our lives. Not a man on earth can see a day ahead, groping through the dark. Better to live at random best we can. And as for this marriage with your mother – have no fear. Many a man before you in his dreams, has shared his mother’s bed. Take such things for shadows, nothing at all – live, Oedipus, as if there’s no tomorrow.” This is ironic because Oedipus does in fact share the bed of his mother, who is actually Jocasta, and yet he doesn’t know it. Only Jocasta and the audience are aware of this fact. Oedipus thinks Jocasta, in her comment, is referring to Merope, which is a twist. With the death of Polybus, Oedipus believes that at least half of the oracle’s vision was incorrect. This gives him hope that he will not become Merope’s
lover.

He also learns at this time that he is not the birth son of Polybus and Merope. Oedipus becomes even more determined to find out the truth of his past. Line 1185 makes that clear. “I must know my birth, no matter how common it may be – I must see my origins face-to-face.” Line 1190 he adds, “I’ll never see myself disgraced.” This line is ironic because the more focused Oedipus becomes in his quest for knowledge, the greater his chance for disgrace. Ultimately, during a conversation with a shepherd, Oedipus does discover the truth of his birth parents. He goes insane when he fully realizes the story of his life and the fact that he wasn’t able to escape his fate. He tragically blinds himself using pins from Jocasta’s robes. On line 1405 Oedipus says “You’ll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused!” It is ironic that when he finally sees everything he removes his own ability to see.

In conclusion, the play’s central theme of “one cannot escape their fate” tragically comes true for Oedipus. Oedipus starts out very ignorant about his beginnings. The use of dramatic irony allows the audience to have advance knowledge of Oedipus’ predicament. Oedipus thinks he’s putting a dark prediction behind him as he exits the city he was raised in, in an attempt to escape his fate. Ironically the further away he travels, the closer he comes to making the dire prediction a reality. As the story unfolds Oedipus faces obstacles along the pathway to self-knowledge, including the blind oracle, his wife, and the old shepherd. These obstacles make him more determined for the truth. The enlightenment he faces at the end of the play ultimately leads him to a life of darkness and despair.