Dramatic Irony In Oedipus The King

On many occasions in the play “Oedipus” Sophocles uses the characters’ inability to recognize the truth of their words to enhance the dramatic irony. From the very start of the play Oedipus is able to identify the theme of the play in one sentence, “But when he (Creon) comes, then, may I prove a villain, if I do not do as God commands,” (13). Oedipus means to communicate that he accepts the responsibility for saving Thebes and he understands the possible repercussions of not heeding Creon’s warning from the Gods. Despite this understanding, the irony in this statement is that the audience knows that Oedipus does just that; he chooses to disregard the God’s and ultimately his sins are revealed to the entire town. As the play continues facts of the situation continue to unravel. …show more content…
Jocasta believes this a trivial fact, a mere coincidence irrelevant to the prophecy. The irony is that it is in fact the opposite; it is in fact the root of the characters’ plight. From the audience’s perspective it makes sense that Lauis looked like Oedipus because, as the audience knows, Lauis is Oedipus’s father. As the play continues the characters are still unable to see the blatant connection between Oedipus revealing he was, “doomed to be murderer of the father that begot me (him),” (45) and their current situation. In the characters’ minds they have averted this fate; Lauis and Jocasta’s son is dead and murderers killed Lauis. This false truth interferes with the characters abilities’ to correctly interpret this information. Ultimately, it is these instances, where the truth is known and the characters still fail to connect them, that enhance the dramatic irony of the