Theme Of Irony In Oedipus The King - 827 Words

The presence of irony in â€Å"Myth† by Muriel Rukeyser, â€Å"My Oedipus Complex† by Frank O’Connor, and â€Å"Oedipus the King† by Sophocles link these three literary pieces together. However, each of the works utilize different forms of irony in different levels to specifically present their message. In Rukeyser’s short poem, the narrator uses verbal irony through Oedipus’ conversation with the Sphinx and dramatic irony through Oedipus’ shorthanded conclusions. O’Connor uses situational irony in his short story by presenting unanticipated endings to the narrator’s hopes, and takes advantage of his narrator’s ignorance to present dramatic irony. Finally, in the famed Greek tragedy, Sophocles uses cosmic and situational irony as a result of the†¦show more content†¦Other unexpected negative outcomes include Larry and Daddy’s â€Å"series of skirmishes against one another† until Daddy had bee n turned out of the bed himself, and Larry’s desperation for a baby to â€Å"brighten the house up† until Sonny, the baby arrives and he refers to it as â€Å"that poisonous pup.† Common knowledge of a mature audience helps to provoke dramatic irony from Larry’s misled conclusions. Larry believes in â€Å"cheap† versus â€Å"exclusive† babies, tells his mother that he is going to marry her when he grows up, and explains that the baby, Sonny, only cries for attention. Simple minded conclusions in contrast to the audience’s assumed logical and mature knowledge results in dramatic irony because they know more about the debated issues than the narrator Larry does. The famed Greek tragedy assumes much of its appeal from Sophocless use of dramatic, cosmic, and situational irony. In a prelude to the play, the audience is assumed aware of Oedipus’ fate. Before the play even begins, common spectators enter with the common knowledge that Oedipus killed his father Laius and married his mother Jocasta. The aire of dramatic irony meets its peak when Oedipus desperately tries to find Laius’ murderer while the audience is aware thatShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Dramatic Irony In Oedipus The King1057 Words   |  5 Pagesentire play, Oedipus the king by Sophocles dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is when audience is aware what is happening but the character is not. Sophocles uses dramatic irony to show us Oedipus’s character and what is expected to occur. The intention of using irony also allows us to sustain our interest in the play and keep us intrigued by what’s happening. Ironically, the play begins with dramatic irony. Suddenly after the death of King Laius, A plague has hit the city of Thebes. Since Oedipus was theRead MoreTheme Of Irony In Oedipus The King913 Words   |  4 PagesSophocles’, Oedipus the King, Oedipus’ power and knowledge are unparalleled by man as he is the only man able to solve the Riddle of the Sphinx and save Thebes. Yet after receiving an unpleasant reading from the Oracle at Delphi during a quest to find his true self, Oedipus directly challenges Apollo, and his hubris ends up preventing him from finding out who he really is; The murderer of his father, King Laius, and husband of his own mother, Jocasta. Throughout the play, Sophocles uses irony to exposeRead MoreEssay on A Struggle with Fate in Oedipus the King by Sophocles578 Words   |  3 Pages Oedipus the King, a greek tragedy, is the story of a mans struggle against his fate. The author Sophocles, uses many different themes and contrasts in his writing. The most obvious theme being irony. An oracle was given by the priests of Apollo, that a son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta would murder Laius and marry Jocasta. Oedipus was taken as an infant, left to die, but was rescued by a shepard and his wife. Oedipus grows up, not knowing his true identity and fulfillsRead MoreComparison of Oedipus the King and Death of a Salesman Essay1025 Words   |  5 Pagessetting, irony, plot, characters, and theme, which will be discussed in the essay. Oedipus the King opens in a Greek amphitheatre depicting the front of a Theban palace. Throughout the play, the setting remains constant. This changes to a more fast-paced play with different settings in different places in Death of a Salesman. Dramatic irony in Oedipus the King is evident throughout, which is similar to the latter play, but in a different form. In here, the irony is evident. Oedipus the King revolvesRead MoreOedipus The King Theme Essay1076 Words   |  5 Pages Oedipus the King: Themes of Blindness and Sight in the Sophocles Oedipus the King What does it mean to truly see? Do those blessed with normal vision really see? Oedipus the King by Sophocles’ is intertwined with many powerful themes and messages, establishing what real vision and real sight are. Sophocles’ play also demonstrates that sometimes in life we have to experience great loss in order to rediscover our true selves. In Oedipus’s quest for truth, lack of self-control, ignoranceRead MoreThe True Vision of Blindness in Oedipus Rex by Sophocles Essay959 Words   |  4 Pagesthey are blind to it. In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles it is easy to see how blindness affects the transition of the story. It is said that blind people see â€Å"in a different manner† because they sense the world in a totally diferent way, such as Teiresias in the play. Oedipus Rex is a tragedy due to the content the Sophocles, the playwright, decided to include, first, murdering his father, king Laius, then marrying his mother, Jocasta, and ending by blinding himself. Oedipus has been blinded to the truthRead MoreAnalysis Of Oedipus Oedipus The King 1152 Words   |  5 Pages The theme of sight and blindness is undoubtedly important to notice while reading Oedipus the King. The number of times the words â€Å"see† or â€Å"blind† are in the play make it make it undeniably obvious that they are significant. The theme is developed throughout the dialogue, through characters such as Tiresias and Oedipus, and also directly in the irony of the play. It is important in a play about the truth because almost every character was â€Å"blind† to the truth. All of the characters, except oneRead MoreOedipus: Aristotelian or Formalist Theory772 Words   |  4 PagesTeiresias’s speech at the end of scene one of Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex is fairly short but it is in this encounter between Oedipus and Teiresias where the main conflict of the story begins to unfold. This is a pivotal speech in the play as it helps to develop some of the major themes in the play as well as begin to build up the tragic irony at the center of the story. When this speech is analyzed using either Aristotelian or Formalist theory key elements can be found that are effective inRead MoreOedipus Rex Motifs And Symbols1319 Words   |  6 Pages Oedipus Rex Motifs and Symbols The paths (3 crossroads): Expressed three independent ways Oedipus could have chosen to continue his life, and Oedipus chose the inferior road. Oedipus’s legs: Oedipus’s damaged legs and feet symbolize his painful upbringing. As well as this, it represents his mental health, which is damaged just like his feet. Vision: Oedipus can actually see, while Tiresias is actually blind. Yet, even though he can see, Oedipus is blind enough to not recognize that he killedRead MoreEssay on Sophocles Clever Use of Dramatic Irony in Oedipus the King831 Words   |  4 PagesDramatic irony depends on the audience’s knowing something that the character does not, and in this play the audience knows Oedipus faith before he knows it himself. In this play there are several parts where Sophocles conveys his plot through dramatic irony. Dramatic irony underlines how partial human perceptive can be even when it is most reasonable and how agonizing it can be to be the costs of the misinterpretation, in some sense foreseeable. Dramatic irony is also use by Sophocles to make the