Oedipus The King Fate Analysis

One of Sophocles greatest weapon in creating such world renounced plays is irony. An ironic situation is often exemplified when a character within the play is merrily unaware of the distance between the character’s self-identity or self-perception to the role the character has within his or her surroundings. In the play, Oedipus the King, Sophocles creates irony through King Oedipus. Oedipus is blind to the fact that he is the curse of Thebes despite much evidence to suggest that he has murdered his true father and committed incest with his birth mother. Oedipus also ignores Teiresias’s words that Oedipus is the curse. In addition, it has been foreseen during the time of Oedipus’s birth that he will murder his father and sleep with his mother and despite all attempts to avoid that future the prophecy came true. Lastly, the passage from pages 208-213 also illustrate the human conditions Technê (via Oedipus) and Tychê (via Jocasta). Through the use of the themes of fate vs free will, blind vs sighted, and Technê and Tychê, Sophocles is able to successfully create a memorable dramatic irony. The story of Oedipus can be seen as a …show more content…
Technê and Tychê fit into the larger context of the play by being built upon by the themes of blind vs sighted and fate vs free will. The theme of fate vs free will constantly clash throughout the play through the characters leaving the audience wondering if the characters are in actuality driven by fate or by free will. It was ironic how despite may efforts to avoid the prophesized fate, it came true. Similarly, the theme of the blind vs the sighted created irony because the reader knew a little more than some of the characters. Because the audience had that extra knowledge they saw the errors in Oedipus’ ways making him blind to his own actions