Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles

In his work of Oedipus Rex, Greek poet Sophocles had succeeded in weaving dramatic irony into the storyline applicable to multiple situations. Dramatic irony is a plot device in which the audience’s knowledge of events or individuals surpasses that of the characters. Such examples of the use of dramatic irony in this play include; Oedipus’ going to Thebes to find the murderer of the late king Laius, the term from which his name is derived, and his attempt to escape Corinth and his fate. Whilst turning poems into an interacting play between not two but three people, Sophocles assisted in the evolution of classical Greek drama called “lèei”, which means telling, to “práxi”, which translates to doing. Sophocles’ use of dramatic irony allows the audience- ancient Greek or modern- to make connections and relations of such situations, taking into account their varied views.

Starting in the beginning of the play, as the city of Thebes suffers from a plague brought on by the gods, a priest of Zeus is called forth to shed light on the cause of the disease. The priest tells Oedipus and Creon that the source of the collective death of the city is the unsolved murder of Laius. After finding out that he must catch the killer to restore Thebes to health once again, Oedipus swears to goes to whatever means to catch the killer, “No, I'll start again- I'll bring it all to light myself! Apollo is right, and so are you, Creon, to turn your attention back to the murdered man. Now you have me to fight for you, you'll see: I am the land's avenger by all rights and Apollo's champion too. But not to assist for my own sake I'll rid us of this corruption. Whoever killed the king may decide to kill me too, with the same violent hand-by avenging Laius I de...

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...us the King: Lines 873-880). The irony in this situation is that Oedipus' main intention was to escape the prophecy brought onto him by leaving Corinth and his "parents”, when in reality, he is traveling back to his native homeland and to his parents, otherwise fulfilling his destiny.

Sophocles' works, being one of the first uses of dramatic irony, would later set a foundation for modern day literature. A primary example of such influence is Romeo and Juliet, Romeo kills himself because he isn't aware that she is simply sleeping, as the audience is informed. To apply the idea of dramatic irony to eve more modern times would be the term "well that was ironic" when a unpredicted outcome comes forth in whatever situation appropriate. Dramatic irony found in Oedipus the King represents how the characters and the audience interpret situations with the different views.