Dramatic Irony In Oedipus The King

As Oedipus, King of Thebes, stands before his subjects, vowing to find the person who murdered Laius, only the audience recognizes the dramatic irony of his statement; “Be certain that i have wept many tears and searched hither and thither for some remedy… But I will start afresh and make the dark things plain. In doing right by Laius I protect myself, for whoever slew Laius might turn a hand against me”(30-31, 79-81). Thus begins a series of confrontations into the mystery of the murder on the place where three roads met years ago. In the Greek tragedy, Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, the onslaught of pain assailing on Oedipus is a result of his tragic flaw. The self confidence of Oedipus made his attempt to evade the gods impossible to achieve, as his self pride blinds him to the truth, making him very ignorant.

Slowly, and which much grief, Oedipus and his wife Jocasta begin to recognize the similarities between a murder Oedipus committed in the past and the story of Laius’ death. Tiresias, who believes the Oracle, confronts Oedipus, in a way. But Oedipus, who has an enormous amount of self pride, mocking says, “Was it Creon that planned this or you yourself? Creon is not your enemy; you are your own enemy”(231-232). In the harshest way possible, Oedipus goes through an unprecedented amount of suffering. The climax of the story, however, occurs when the shepherd from earlier admits to leaving Oedipus, as per Jocasta’s orders, to die of exposure on the mountainside as an infant. At that moment, Oedipus recognizes the horrifying truth. The mystery has been solved, lifting the plague upon the city, but the repercussions of his actions will live to haunt Oedipus