Oedipus_Rex

Oedipus Rex As scene 1 to Oedipus Rex opens, Oedipus is speaking to Choragos. He has already been told that he must rid the city of old king Laios’ murderer. Sophocles uses dramatic irony in Oedipus’ opening speech, showing Oedipus’ naivety toward his situation and foreshadowing the tragic end of the play. After Oedipus’ highly ironic speech, where he relates himself even to being like Laios’ son ( which, of course, he really is), Choragos suggests that he see the blind clairvoyant Teiresias. Oedipus’ scene with Teiresias is filled with dramatic irony, making the intended crowd (who already knew the story well) see and pity the imminent and tragic downfall of Oedipus. As Teiresias enters he warns Oedipus to leave the matter be, for though he is blind he can see Oedipus’ terrible fate and knows the curse that Oedipus has already unknowingly cast upon himself. On Teiresias’ line 315, “No; I’ll never tell you what I know. Now it is my misery; then, it would be yours.”, Sophocles uses dramatic irony to foreshadow the tragic misery Oedipus refers to when he blinds himself. The irony that Sophocles uses makes the reader pity Oedipus even more, as oedipus, irony, teiresias, line, himself, makes, even, dramatic, tragic, sophocles, already, pity, murderer, making, know, ending, course, audience, upon, truth, time, though, speech, scene, say, refers, reader, own, now, much, misery, ironic