Dramatic Irony Oedipus Rex

Dramatic Irony
Dramatic irony is a literary device that has been in use since the time of ancient cultures. Many works today also use dramatic irony. From cinematic creations to enchanting novels, dramatic irony grants the audience the knowledge of what will come before the characters themselves realize what happens. Among such works, Oedipus the King, a play written by Sophocles, uses dramatic irony to its advantage. Oedipus Rex uses dramatic irony to create suspense among the audience, thus guiding their anticipation throughout the play.
From the beginning of the play, the audience is aware that Oedipus had killed his father and married his mother unknowingly (“Sophocles” 483). The play describes how the truth eventually came about and how King Oedipus met his tragic downfall. Sophocles uses the audience’s knowledge, or dramatic irony, to get the audience interested in the play. The audience is captivated by the hints that reveal the truth that is so obvious yet allude the characters understanding, thus adding more suspense to the plot. For example, the truth of the killer and the prophecy regarding Oedipus’ family had been exposed in the beginning by Tiresias, the blind prophet of Apollo, in lines 435, 440 to 443, and 499 to

The build up of emotions from the beginning to the end of the play due to dramatic irony grants the audience a rollercoaster of feelings that give the message of the play a lasting impact.

Works Cited
Sophocles. “Oedipus The King.” The Norton Anthology World Literature. Shorter Third Edition.
Ed. Martin Puncher. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013. 485-525.
“Sophocles.” The Norton Anthology World Literature. Shorter Third Edition. Ed. Martin
Puncher. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013. 481-485. Print.
Weimer, Walker. “Oedipus Rex Lecture Canvas Spring 2016.docx.” English 231. CSN, Las
Vegas. 2 March