Sophocles's Use Of Dramatic Irony In Oedipus Rex

Within Oedipus Rex, Sophocles uses dramatic irony in a way that no other author has used dramatic Irony in the play Oedipus Rex. Oedipus Rex is a Tragedy known almost by all in the time that Sophocles wrote (write) the play. Sophocles decided to make a twist to the play almost making it a murder mystery which appeals to the readers, they know all and know the outcome of all that will take place all while they read the frantic chaos taking place in the play. It gives the author a deeper way to connect this the audience. Sophocles uses dramatic irony to entertain the audience and set them in a position that makes them feel like a higher power and he also uses dramatic irony to convey the theme that one cannot escape fate. Sophocles uses dramatic …show more content…
The messenger arrives due the Oedipus father who is actually his step father passes states that “I come from Corinth and the news I bring will give you pleasure. Perhaps a little pain, too.” (Sophocles) Oedipus jumps for joy thinking that his father is dead due to natural causes and not him until the messenger clarifies that he was the one who gave Oedipus to Polybos and that he was not his actual father. Sophocles here builds the suspense of the when Oedipus will get the news that he did kill his father with the climatic news that he was not the son of the person who raised him. Sophocles using dramatic irony places the audience in an all knowing level of the outcome but not the process and not the journey of getting to that place. Sophocles makes them at the edge of their seats waiting for Oedipus to put two and two together that he indeed fulfilled the prophecy. Sophocles continues his irony by bringing another character, the Shepard, who was the one that Iocaste had sent to go leave Oedipus to die on Mount Kithairon while he was a baby due to the fact that she knew her son would fulfill the prophecy. The shepherd was forced to say what he knew for he was called out by the messenger who says “remember […] you gave me the baby boy to bring up as my own?” the shepherd gives in and lets all that he knows justifying what he …show more content…
He showed this through setting up a plot almost all know as the child who married his mother and killed his mother. He allows his audience to sit back and enjoy on his take of the story of the child who married his mother and killed his father. The audience acts as a higher power with knowing the outcome of the play, but how Sophocles makes it entertain he makes his audience wait to see when that outcome happens and how it will happen. He uses dramatic irony to give suspense for example when Tiresias and Oedipus argue the moment is intense and the audience knows that the information is going to get let out but Sophocles uses the situation to play more with his plot line of when Oedipus will come to terms with his fate. Also he uses dramatic irony in an almost comedic way for example when the messenger comes into the mix it puts yet another strain on Oedipus his brother has passively accused him of being the killer and Tiresias comes out and just plainly and bluntly says yes, he is the killer of his father who is also married to his mother. The moment when the messenger comes in the audience know he is going to bring the news that the man who raised him was not his biological father and that he will help Oedipus come to terms with his fate. Again Sophocles here uses dramatic irony to tell his theme of no one can escape their