dramatic irony in oedipus Essay

To see how brilliant Sophocles employs dramatic irony in “ Oedipus the queen ” we should clearly determine what constitutes dramatic humor. This dramatic irony has not more in common with the humor we are accustomed to: It is not humorous (or is, but in highly unpleasant manner) . It is this place, when the people already knows the answer to the question these characters decide to understand. They believe that everything is going to be on a gloomy tone, but these characters are still fighting, not knowing that their efforts are pointless. Shakespeare was the good student of this dramatic satire, but the oldest and one of the most fantastic jobs that uses it belongs to the author of Ancient Greece, Sophocles.
This first turn of striking irony is oedipus’s torment towards himself. Out of rage, in not being able to see the killer of Laius, Oedipus intends to utter the killer. Nevertheless, he is really cursing himself. For example, at picture one Oedipus tells, “ and the curse, Also, against the figure who did it, whether only at silence, or with others: May he wear out his life unblest and evil! ” (1,1,251) As these cruel words give oedipus’s voice, he never once believes he would be cursing himself; but this people realize that he so is placing the curse upon himself.
Sophocles’s play Oedipus the queen (also called Oedipus Rex) includes some instances of dramatic irony, also as situational humor. The biggest instance of dramatic irony is in the brief lecture from Oedipus, at which he swears the killer of his father. This is striking irony because Oedipus does not know who his dad is; he is, as a matter of fact, his parent’s killer. Therefore, Oedipus has really cursed himself. The audience recognizes his parentage, but Oedipus is sadly oblivious. This is one of the earliest instances of sad humor.
This first turn of striking irony is oedipus’s torment towards himself. Out of rage, in not being able to see the killer of Laius, Oedipus intends to utter the killer. Nevertheless, he is really cursing himself. For example, at picture one Oedipus tells, “ and the curse, Also, against the figure who did it, whether only at silence, or with others: May he wear out his life unblest and evil! ” (1 , 1, 251) As these cruel words give oedipus’s voice, he never once believes he would be cursing himself; but the people realize that he so is putting the curse upon himself.