In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, arguably the device of irony is crucial to the effect of the entire narrative. Irony can, in essence, be understood as a form of disjunction between the perceived reality of a situation and the truth of a situation. In short, what one believes to be true is not, in fact, true. Within the context of drama, a further development is conferred to the concept of irony, whereby the audience, as external observers of the events in the narrative, becomes aware of this disjunction itself. This disjunction creates the entire drama of the play. In Oedipus Rex, both forms of irony are clearly present, firstly, in the form of Oedipus’ father having believed he has avoided the fate of being killed by his son, and secondly, the eventual actions of Oedipus himself which lead to him murdering his own father and killing his own mother.
The foundation of the narrative is set in motion with the disjunction between perceived and true reality. Laius, the King of Thebes, has become aware of a prophecy where he will be killed by his first-born son. In order to avoid this destiny, Laius has his son, who turns out to be Oedipus, murdered by abandoning him in the wild. Oedipus, however, is not killed by this act, but rather grows up in a family. Oedipus with age learns that the parents who have raised him are not his true parents and seeks out the truth. During this journey, he travels by chariot and encounters Laius, who he does not recognize. After a dispute arises between the two men, Oedipus kills Laius, thereby making actual the prophecy which Laius sought to avoid, unbeknownst to Oedipus himself. This is an act of irony since the truth of the situation is not perceived as truth by either of the main actors.
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"Irony and Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Rex".
Furthermore, the play itself is structured around a dramatic irony, as the audience itself is aware of the tragic disjunction that will climax in Oedipus’ horrific discovery and self-blinding. Oedipus eventually becomes the King of Thebes and marries the dead Laius’ former wife, Jocasta, who is, in reality, Oedipus’ mother. Sophocles constructs his narrative by building up to the climactic moment where Oedipus will learn what the audience already knows. The drama thus increases as Oedipus investigates his own past, learning that the previous King Laius had been killed by a “highwayman”, who is Oedipus himself, and ultimately, learning that those he believed to be his parents, the shepherd family, had in reality discovered him as an abandoned infant.
As Oedipus pieces together the puzzle that he is ultimately the one who has murdered his father Laius, and, therefore, having become King of Thebes, has also married the queen, Jocasta, the tragic breakdown of Oedipus occurs. In these dramatic climactic moments, Sophocles thus resolves the disjunction at irony, with the result of Oedipus’ own existential self-destruction. When his perception of reality and the truth of reality come together, such that irony in the play dissolves, Oedipus cries out: “Darkness! Horror of darkness, enfolding, resistless unspeakable visitant speed by an ill wind in haste! Madness and stabbing pain and memory of evil deeds I have done!” (1503-1505)
Hence, the form of the narrative itself is held together and moved forward by various forms of irony. This creates the tension of the piece. However, when the disjunction that constitutes irony is finally closed by Sophocles, the play ends. The play, furthermore, ends tragically precisely because of the extremity of the disjunction between truth and perceived reality in Oedipus Rex. The awareness of the irony and its resolution creates the tragic experience for the audience of Sophocles’ masterwork.
