Sophocless Use of Dramatic Irony in King Oedipus
The story of King Oedipus is very strange. Oedipus has unknowing married his mother and killed his father although tried his best to avoid this calamity. Thus he is unfortunate victim of the cruel irony of fate over which has no control. So, we, the modern readers can in no way condemn him for this. Rather we feel sympathy for him. In fact, it is the brilliant use of irony, which highlights the weakness in Oedipuss personality and also foreshadows the tragic conclusion of the play.
Sophocles was fond of irony because he made a very frequent use of irony in King Oedipus. In fact, in this play tragic irony is to be found in most of the speeches and in most of the situations. There are many occasions on which the audience is aware of the facts while the speaker Oedipus or Jocasta, or the Corinthian messenger, or the Chorus is ignorant of those facts. For instance, at the very beginning scene of the play we have a striking example of dramatic irony when Oedipus proclaims to trace the murderer of laius and curse him. To illustrate the idea we can quote the following lines.
If with my knowledge, house or hearth of mine
Receive the guilty man, upon my head
Lie all the curses I have lain on others( Watling, p-32)
Here Oedipus is cursing upon the man who committed the murder of king Laius. But he does not know that he himself is to become the victim of the punishment, which he is proclaiming.
Then the encounter, which takes place between Oedipus and Teiresias, is the most ironical incident in the tragedy. Teiresias is the prophet who knows everything. Oedipus appears to the prophet to exercise his power and give him the name and identity of the murderer of King Laius. He says that, who will disobey his command will be cursed by God. But, Teiresias does not like to disclose the secret that he knows. Then Oedipus becomes hot tempered and rebuked the wise old prophet-
Insolent scoundrel, you would rouse
A stone of fury will you never speak(p-35)
Hearing this Teiresias can no longer remain silent and he reveals the truth You are the cursed polluter of this land(p-35). He asked him to accept the punishment that he has announced for the criminal. Then the reaction of Oedipus is one of the bewilderment and great shock. Teiresias further reveals that Oedipus leading a horrible life of shame.
Tragic irony is also to be found in the scene with Creon. Creon begs Oedipus not to call him a traitor and to punish him with proper reason. But Oedipus blind by his authority and pride, turns him out.But in the final scene their roles are reversed. There Creon is the king and Oedipus begs him to look after his daughters and entreats him to pass the order of punishment against him.
There is also tragic irony in the scene with Jocasta. She says, no man possesses the secret of divination. There is palpable irony in Jocastas unbelief in oracles because at last she receives the truth of oracle very painfully.
Thus throughout Oedipus there is an extremely clear picture of literary device which not only reveals the character of Oedipus but also heightens the tragedy of the play.
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