Oedipus Irony Essay

After word of the prophecy in Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex, multiple occurrences of irony are present. This is evident when Jocasta doesn’t believe what the Oracle or the gods have to say but is found praying to the gods for answers. There is irony within both Oedipus and Tiresias, in which Oedipus can physically see but is blinded from the truth; opposing, Tiresias is physically blind but is the seer of all. Both Jocasta’s and Oedipus’ ironic inability to believe the prophecy lead to their postponed revelation of the killer of Laius. These instances reveal that the tragic irony of these characters is directly related to their own personal journey of revelation.

When the word of the prophecy is first spread, Jocasta immediately disregards it. Even though she doesn’t believe in the fate that the gods provided her, she later prays to the gods after it is revealed to Oedipus and begs, “ O prophecies of Gods, where are you now?” (Sophocles 34) Which is ironic because she describes said prophecy as a rumor and called it a

He genuinely wants to help the city of Thebes but he questions Laius’ death: “By what purge?/ Whose fate does this signify?/ And what was that?/ How could your robber have dared so far?” (Sophocles 4-5) Oedipus subconsciously replaced robbers with robber as if the story sounded familiar. Further on when he is actually told the prophecy by Tiresias’, he responds with “begone’ back from these walls, and turn you home again” (Sophocles 16). Although Oedipus has now heard of the prophecy, the event of Laius death, and remembers fleeing Corinth and murdering people at the crossroads, he still doesn’t put two and two together. He is the solver of the Sphinx’ riddle but when he realizes he killed Laius he still doesn’t believe in the prophecy. This tragic irony of his inability to see the truth ultimately prolongs his journey to