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Dramatic irony in Oedipus Rex.
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| Submitted: Thu Mar 18 2004
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DRAMATIC IRONY IN OEDIPUS REX Oedipus Rex is a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles in the early days of antiquity and is based upon an even more ancient story in Greek mythology. Sophocles, knowing that his audience is aware of the outcome of the play, utilizes that knowledge to create various situations in which dramatic irony play key roles. To begin with, dramatic irony is when the audience knows the tragic truth before the characters do. Through Sophocles's use of irony he manages to avoid retelling an old tale, even though the audience is aware of the story's ending, they are intrigued by the irony present in the story. From the beginning of the play, Oedipus is ignorant of the dreadful acts he has committed: the murder of his father and marrying his mother. But the audience, watching the play, is already well aware of these facts. Therefore, every word and...
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