use of irony in oedipus rex
... Merope (the King and Queen of Corinth) are his real parents. Soon, he too learns of his horrible fate and seeking to avoid it, he flees hi supposed homeland. As fate would have it, along the road, Oedipus meets Laios and kills him in a fit of rage. Thus, he has unwittingly fulfilled the first half of the prophecy. Traveling on to Thebes, Oedipus saves the city from the drought by solving the riddle of the sphinx. Declared the new King, he marries the widowed Queen (Locaste) - his mother. Thus, he has unknowingly fulfilled the second half of the prophecy. For the next two decades, Oedipus rules successfully in Thebes until Hera sends a second drought to plague the city. After sending his brother-in-law, Creon, back to the Delphic oracle for a reading, Oedipus learns that the second drought will not be lifted until Laios' killer is found and punished. An over-confident King takes charge of the investigation. At this point, Sophocles begins his play. Our first example of unconscious irony can be seen in a discussion about Laios by Oedipus and Creon. Oedipus says about Laios: "I know: I learned of him from others: I never saw him." (pg. 862, lines 108-109). This passage constitutes unconscious irony as Oedipus believes that he is speaking the truth - that he never met Laios. Of course, the audience, armed with fore-knowledge, know that it is not. Oedipus not only has met Laios (his real father), he killed him at the crossroads "where three highways meet." Our second example of unconscious irony occurs a little in the same scene. Oedipus states that: Then once more I must bring what is dark to light. It is most fitting that Apollo shows, as you do, this compunction for the dead. You shall see how I stand by you as I should, to avenge the city and the city's god, and not as though it were some distant friend, but for my own sake, to be rid of evil. Whoever killed King Laios might who knows? Decide at any moment to kill me as well. By avenging the murdered King I protect myself. (pg. 863, lines 133-142) Here, Oedipus refers to the fact the whoever killed Laios might someday attempt to kill Oedipus. Thus, ironically, he feels that by finding the killer of Laios, he will be protecting himself. Of course, this is nonsense. He is unaware that his finding of Laios' killer will not protect him - but destroy him. Our third example of unconscious irony is evident later in scene I, when the King ironically condemns himself with his own proclamation: I make this proclamation to all Thebans: if any man knows by whose hand Laios , son of Labdakos, met his death, I direct that man to tell me everything, no matter what he fears for having so long withheld it. Let it stand as promised that no further trouble will come to him, but he may leave the land in safety. (pg. 865, lines 10-15) This passage constitutes unconscious irony as he condemns himself later in the play. He thinks that he is condemning the kill he is looking for. Our first example of conscious irony occurs later in scene I. Again, following Creon's advice, Oedipus decides to consult Tiresias, a famed blind prophet. Armed with mystical ability, Tiresias knows the truth about Oedipus' horrible fate. He k...