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Oedipus the King – Analyzing Dramatic Irony

Uploaded by JayJay on Dec 29, 2004

Oedipus the King – Analyzing Dramatic Irony

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.




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...

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Uploaded by:   JayJay

Date:   12/29/2004

Category:   The Odyssey

Length:   2 pages (533 words)

Views:   51823

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