Dramatic Irony Affect The Audience Perception Of Oedipus

How does dramatic irony affect the audience perception of Oedipus? What is the irony of Oedipus? How do you use dramatic irony? What is the importance of irony in Oedipus Rex?

Dramatic irony occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play. Dramatic irony plays a vital role in Oedipus the king because it s used to describe Oedipus character as arrogant and blind towards truth. In the paly Oedipus, the king by Sophocles the author presents the viewer with several instances of dramatic irony. Dramatic irony occurs when the audience understands the meaning of the situation but the characters of the paly do not understand the situation. Dramatic irony plays an important role in Oedipus the king because it is used to describe Oedipus character as arrogant and blind towards the truth. The audience is expected to understand the history of Oedipus well before he play the role.in the first three episodes Oedipus uses a lot of dramatic irony in his speech.

The behavior of Oedipus is ironic, because he is not capable to grasp the truth that is being unrevealed before his eyes. Oedipus is blinded by his ignorance. He is very confident and powerful man and very strict in the way he acts and talks. Oedipus is so blind to himself that instead of relying on the oracles he counts on his own knowledge to find out the truth. Oedipus is destined from birth ton someday marry his mother and to murder his father.

Dramatic irony occurs in the story because the audience is aware that Oedipus has killed Laius, but Oedipus is unaware and demands that the murderer should be found and punished.  The audience is also aware that Polybus and Merope adopted Oedipus. Oedipus never judges the situation and killed his father only because he fell in love with his mother as his mother is beautiful. Oedipus is so arrogant that he never realized that killing his father will not solve his problem his arrogant character has become a major irony for him.

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience knows something that is going on in a situation but the characters are not aware of what is going on. Because of this understanding, the words and actions of the characters take on a different meaning. This can create a situation of intense suspense or humor. There are many examples of dramatic irony in various famous drama one of the example is in Shakespeare’s Romeo Juliet the audience knows Juliet is in a drugged sleep so when Romeo thinks she is dead and kills himself (followed by Juliet doing the same)it increases the audience’s shock.

Dramatic irony involves a situation in a play in which the character is ignorant of the reality which audiences share with the dramatist and which the character will find out later.in that situation the character unknowingly acts in a way the audience recognize in a badly mistaken way . he expects the opposite of what the fate has in stock for him.

The importance of irony in Oedipus rex is due to the brilliant interplay of dramatic irony in the play. From the start 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 well aware of the fact. Therefore every act , every reaction of Oedipus with relation to the murder of his father lends itself to dramatic irony.

Oedipus speech demanding the people to reveal the murderer in the initial part of the play is an important instance of dramatic irony. He never realizes that in cruising Laius murderer to live in wretchedness he is cursing himself. This curse does indeed come true when in the end of the play Oedipus and his family are doomed to a miserable life and that the. Another important instance of dramatic irony is a little later in the same section of the play when the old soothsayer visits the king. When Oedipus beings to ridicules Tieresias blindness, he is turn predicts and unusual circumstances. There are many other instances of irony in the play. In the very first scene of the play, Oedipus praises himself as a great and famous king and he says that once more it must bring what is dark to light. But for a spectator who knows the myth of Oedipus in advance . Oedipus’s confidence and self-appreciation itself is ironic.