1. Oedipus
I know you are all sick,
yet there is not one of you, sick as you are,
that is as sick as I myself.
Your several sorrows each have single scope
and touch but one of you. My spirit groans
for city and myself and you at once. (lines – 68-73)
All of you are ill,
even as ill as you are, there is not one of you,
ill like me.
your grieves only have one focus
and touch yourself. I cry
for not only the city, but myself all at once.
Dramatic Irony:
Oedipus makes this speech to comfort the grieving people of Thebes; for there is a plague that is causing death and destruction, and it will only end when the murderer of Laius, the former King of Thebes is banished. Dramatic Irony is invoked when the people of Thebes come to Oedipus, asking him to rid the city of the plague, when in reality, he is the one causing it.
2. Oedipus
Upon the murderer I invoke this curse–
whether he is one man and all unknown,
or one of many–may he wear out his life
in misery to miserable doom!(lines 266-271)
I put this curse on the murderer—
no matter if he is one man and anonymous,
or one of a lot of people–I hope he spends the rest of his life
in pain forever!
Dramatic Irony:
Oedipus intends to curse the murderer of Laius out of a deep anger in not being able to find him. By doing this, he is actually cursing himself.
Oedipus Irony Essay Dramatic Verbal Sophocles
Irony Oedipus the King Oedipus is self-confident, intelligent and strong willed. Ironically these are the very traits which bring about his demise. Sophocles makes liberal use of irony throughout "Oedipus the King." He creates various situations in which dramatic and verbal irony play key roles in the downfall of Oedipus. Dramatic irony depends on the audience's knowing something that the ...
3. Oedipus
Your life is one long night so that you cannot
hurt me or any other who sees the light. (lines 422-423)
You are blind, so you can’t
hurt me, or anyone who has vision.
Dramatic Irony:
Oedipus intents do insult Tiresias’s blindness, through these statements. Dramatic irony takes place, because he is the one who lacks vision, and he himself will soon be blind.
4. Jocasta
Once long ago there came to Laius
from-let’s not suppose Apollo personally
but from his ministers: an oracle,
which said that fate would make him meet his end
through a son, a son of his and mine.
Well, there was a murder, yes; but done
by foreign highwaymen-they say-where
three highways meet. And secondly, the son,
he at three days old is left by Laius
upon a trackless hillside,
his ankles linked together.
A long time a go, there came to Laius,
not from Apollo himself
but from his disciples: an oracle,
which said fate would make him meet his doom
by our son.
He was murdered, but by
foreign highwaymen where
three highways meet. And secondly, the son,
was left by Laius at three days old
on a hillside,
his ankles linked together.
Dramatic Irony:
Jocasta tells Oedipus this story, in hopes that her husband/son stops believing in seers, for their prophecies are false. However, after hearing this tale from Jocasta, it only entices Oedipus, to continue his pursuit in finding Laius’s murderer even more.
5. Jocasta
A man from Corinth, come to let you know
your father is no more. Old Polybus is
dead.
A messenger has arrived to tell you
your father Polybus is
dead.
Dramatic Irony:
Jocasta informs Oedipus of his father’s death, from natural causes, to remove his conviction in the prophecy that he will murder his own father, and marry his mother. Dramatic irony is invoked, because this new information by Jocasta actually makes the prophecy come to light.
