Sophocles
Sophocles
Literary Analysis on Irony in Oedipus Plays
The three Oedipus plays that were written by Sophocles are Oedipus the King, Antigone and O
edipus at Colonus
. The plays are written in a present tense while the tone is tragic. Oedipus play heavily utilizes
the stylistic device of dramatic irony of blindness and the willingness to ignore the truth. The use
of irony illustrates a wretched fall of a dignified king who killed his father and slept with his father
in accordance to prophesy. This paper will present a literal analysis of Sophocles’s use of irony
in Oedipus play.
Discussion
The ancient Greek dramatist, Sophocles has thoroughly developed the irony of metaphorical
and physical blindness in his tragic play titled Oedipus. Irony as a theme has helps in plot
development. The theme is further reinforced by other techniques employed by Sophocles,
which include, foreshadowing, character developments, dialogues, prophesy, rhetoric questions
as well as symbolism. All the mentioned techniques effectively convey the element of dramatic
irony in the play in relation to metaphorical and physical sense. Dramatic irony is a state where
readers have knowledge of what is happening while the characters have no idea as to what is
happening in the plot of a story or play. The use of Irony in Oedipus play results to creation of
suspense and foreshadowing of the play’s climax (SparkNotes Editors, 2002).
1/5
Sophocles
Tiresias is shown to be blind physically from the first moment he appears in the play. However,
the aura and respect and reverence that were accorded to him were reinforced by his physical
blindness. Tiresias has refutable knowledge and wisdom. It is thus ironical that despite the fact
that he was physically blind, he had an inner vision that was more farsighted compared to other
characters including the noble king, Oedipus. The evidence of Tiresias wisdom is when Oedipus
greets Tiresias and tells him that “all heavenly and earthly knowledge were in his grasp”. This
means that Tiresias, the blind mad a farm much greater inner knowledge and insight (Bloom,
2007).
The knowledge is also evident through Tiresias utterance that “he refuses to speak of the heavy
secrets of his soul as well as Oedipus’ soul.” This illustrates that Tiresias has vast knowledge
and secrets that could entirely alter the plot of the story, and lead to significant consequences.
Hence, the play clearly depicts the fact that Tiresias had a metaphorical vision. This is because
he had knowledge of the truth despite the fact that he had physical blindness. Contrary to this
fact, Oedipus was physically sighted but blind to the truth. This entire picture presents the
dramatic irony in relation to blindness as depicted by Sophocles in his play, Oedipus (Sophocles
, 2004).
Oedipus, the king, is the protagonist of the play. At the beginning, he is portrayed as a just, fair,
noble and dutiful king. He is genuinely concerned about his subjects’ welfare as well as the
welfare of his kingdom. Sophocles also portrays Oedipus as knowledgeable and wise king who
is an epitome of a good leader. It is however ironical that at the end of the play, his character is
greatly ruined combined with his fate that was prophesized prior to his birth. It eventually turns
out that Oedipus was responsible for the plague that had befallen his subjects. It also turns out
that Oedipus the murdered who had been sought for a long time was Oedipus. He learns of
murdering his own father and marrying his own mother. This bitter truth is what results to his
downfall, and makes him to poke out his own eyes (SparkNotes Editors, 2002).
Sophocles has made use of dramatic irony in creation of suspense. A good example is that
even though the readers are ware of the Oedipus prophesies and the fate that would befall him,
the audience lacked knowledge about prophesy and what was in store for Oedipus, the king. It
is ironical that Oedipus clearly knows about prophesies but fails to realize that the same
prophesies have already been fulfilled. According to prophesy, Oedipus is supposed to kill his
own father and sleep with his mother, Jocasta. Oedipus believed that he had proved prophesies
2/5
Sophocles
wrong. He fails to realize that a man whom he had killed under mysterious circumstances was
his father. Hence, though Oedipus believes that he had proved the prophesy wrong, the
audience have knowledge of the truth that the prophesy had already been fulfilled (Sophocles,
2005).
Oedipus asks “whoever killed his father, Liaus to raise his hands.”(Sophocles 10). There is
dramatic irony in this statement because the reader is aware that Oedipus himself is the
murderer. It is thus ironical that he asks the murderer to rise up his hand. This shows the extent
to which Oedipus had a metaphorical blindness by being blind to the truth. The people of
Thebes are left in suspense and urge to know what would befall Liaus’ murderer. They also do
not know that their king was the actual murderer who acted in accordance to Tiresias’
prophesies.
There is an ironical touch in the way Sophocles portrays Oedipus character. Oedipus says
angrily that “he would call down a curse for Liaus’ murderer.” (Sophocles, 14). This shows that
he was just and willing to ensure that justice prevailed. The readers know that this was not
going to be so because the real murdered is the one who was calling upon the curse. This truth
is however unknown to the people of Thebes as well as Oedipus himself. This irony creates
suspense in readers’ mind because they are left to wonder what Oedipus reaction would be
when he eventually learns the truth. Moreover, readers are left to wonder if the truth would
eventually come out (Sophocles and Noe, 2006).
The other aspect that is worth noting in regard to dramatic irony is that it makes the readers to
sympathize with Oedipus. Readers are aware of the tragic fate that befalls Oedipus. The
audience is also aware of the fat that Oedipus was guilty of his won happiness. According to
Aristotle, Oedipus’ character is reinforced by the feeling of sympathy and remorse that the
audience ahs towards Oedipus, the king. Oedipus laments that “he is lost, hated by the gods
and abused beyond any other man.” (Sophocles 37). At this juncture, the audience sympathizes
with Oedipus partly because they had prior knowledge of what would befall him.
3/5
Sophocles
The other role of dramatic irony in Sophocles play, Oedipus is that it foreshadows the expected
climax or outcome of the play. A good example is when Tiresias tells Oedipus that “without his
knowledge, he was already the enemy of his own flesh…and that the double-aged curse would
some day drive him out of Thebes.” (Sophocles 28). Tiresias’ statement plays the role of
foreshadowing the fate of Oedipus and the possibility of him being exiled out of Thebes. The
audience is aware of the curse that is foreseen to befall Oedipus but then, Oedipus does not
know about the curse (Sophocles, 2005).
Oedipus tells Tiresias to “save him from the plague that was caused by the dead man.” It is
ironical that Tiresias knows that Oedipus is the cause of the plague that befell the land of
Thebes but Oedipus himself does not know. Oedipus views Tiresias as a mere blind man who
lacks wisdom and knowledge. This is however not the case because Tiresias is metaphorically
sighted to the truth though he is physically blind. He knows the entire truth about Oedipus’ fate
as well as his eventual downfall. Though he tries to tell Oedipus about it, Oedipus fails to
believe him on the grounds that it can not be true since Tiresias is physically blind (Sophocles,
2004).
At the end of the play, Oedipus poses a rhetoric question asking whether he was unwittingly
cursed. This question arouses the dramatic irony in the concept of its expression. This implies
that Oedipus fate was pre-destined even prior to his birth. Rhetoric questions create suspense
since the audience is left to wonder about the next course of event or action (SparkNotes
Editors, 2002).
It is ironical that the Oedipus persistent search for the truth is what causes his downfall and
destruction. He eventually pokes out his eyeballs in an attempt to avoid witnessing what might
befall his children. The violent reaction of Oedipus was in response to realizing what he had
done unknowingly. He physically blinded himself so that he could avoid witnessing the
consequences of the horrible actions that he had done. The completion of dramatic irony of
blindness is at this juncture where Oedipus has gained a metaphorical sight though he was
physically blind (Bloom, 2007).
In conclusion, it is evident that the elements of ignorance and truth are part of the irony
4/5
Sophocles
portrayed in Oedipus play. Though the truth is always related to integrity, sight, integrity and
enlightenment, this is not the case with Oedipus, the king. The truth was in fact what led to the
doom and downfall of Oedipus. The truth led to destruction of Oedipus power and physical
sight. The aftermath of learning the truth resulted to disastrous consequences of Jocasta
committing suicide and Oedipus poking out his own eyes. Ignorance on the other hand ought to
represent concealment, darkness, blindness and awareness. It is however ironical that Tiresias,
who was physically blind turns out to be more knowledgeable that Oedipus who ahs physical
sight. When Oedipus did not have knowledge initially, he still has the physical sight. He
eventually attained metaphorical sight when he poked out his eyes, becoming physically blind.
References
Bloom, Harold, Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex (2nd Ed). Infobase Publishing, 2007
Sophocles. Oedipus Rex (Oedipus the King). Digireads.com Publishing, 2005
Sophocles, Noe Venable. Oedipus Rex: A play by Sophocles. Don Johnston Incorporated, 2006
Sophocles, Thomas, J. E., & Osborne, E. Oedipus Rex: Literary Touchstone. Prestwick House
Inc, 2004
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on the Oedipus Plays. “SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC.
2002. Web. 2 April.2011
5/5