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Dramatic Irony In Oedipus The King

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Dramatic irony is that irony which can be understood by audience but not by characters. Dramatic irony is of three types: verbal irony, tragic irony and situational irony. In this play, dramatic irony has been used for many purposes. In this essay, the irony used to emphasize Oedipus’ complex past will be discussed. To understand that lets discuss Oedipus’ past first. Oedipus was only son of King Laius and Queen Jocasta of Thebes. When King Laius went to Delphi to discuss it with Apollo’s ministers, he was told that this son of his will kill his father (King Laius) and marry his mother (Queen Jocasta). After hearing this news, Jocasta arranges the death of infant to stop the oracle from happening. She sends the baby with a servant to be left …show more content…

In the play, Oedipus orders that the murderer of King Laius must be caught and punished while not knowing that he did it himself. In his ignorance he asks his subjects that if any of them know the murder then they should come forward. And, punishment would be just banishment but they did not tell and he found the murder then nobody will talk to him, he will be excluded from religious rituals and will be considered the most unclean creature (Sophocles, p32). Thus, condemning the murder he condemns himself. Another example of is when Oedipus tells Jocasta that he ran away from his home because he heard the oracle of Apollo that he will kill his father and marry his mother. He did not wanted to do it so he ran away (Sophocles, p47). But he did not knew that he was adopted. So, by trying to save his parents, he ran away and came the city of his actual parents and married his mother, Jocasta. While coming to this city he killed his father, King Laius. So, while trying to save his parents he ruins his …show more content…

To save his parents from the tragedy of oracle of Delphi, Oedipus leaves his home and moves to another city. Not knowing that he is adopted he comes his birth place. Killing his father on the way to this new city, he marries his mother on his arrival to the city after defeating the sphinx. Thus, fulfilling the foretelling that he tries to escape. This murder of his father and marriage to his mother cause diseases to spread in the city as punishment of patricide and incest which are most unforgivable sins. And, gods punish whole city for these is hideous

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