Theme Of Conflicts And Irony In Oedipus

OedipuOedipus Rex Conflicts And Ironies The playwright Sophocles wrote one hundred and twenty-three plays throughout his lifetime, his most famous being “Oedipus Rex” also known by other titles such as “Oedipus Tyrannus” or “Oedipus The King”. Sophocles ' plays often involve the downfall of the protagonist, and this is no exception. The play tells the tale of King Oedipus of Thebes, a man prophesied as doomed by the gods. His name alone is a hint at his fate, translating to “swollen foot” as his feet were bound and broken at birth when his father left him to die. Though he survived and lived the life of a prince by another royal family, he is distraught when informed that he is not their son. Upon visiting an oracle of Apollo to determine

“But now-- whose story is more sorrowful than yours?” (Sophocles, line 1210.) The final use of dramatic irony is that no matter how he tries to avoid danger, he finds it waiting for him. “After he left Corinth, at a meeting place of three roads, Oedipus was offended by a man in a chariot. He killed the man and all of his servants but one. From there he went on to Thebes, where he became the new king by answering the riddle of the Sphinx” (Weigel Jr., 1.) The irony doesn 't stop there, however, as the king is so famous for his actions that the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud coined the Oedipus Complex: the instinct of young males to love their mothers and do away with their fathers. The irony of it is that Oedipus did so unaware of his conditions. “Oedipus Rex” is a famous play of a tragic hero full of hubris and stubbornness. The playwright took every chance he could to use irony and conflict to his advantage, and although the audience knows what will happen early on, one can still sense the shock of the ending. Due to his own anger, Oedipus goes from being a powerful king to a blind beggar. Of the seven surviving plays, it is no surprise why this one is one of the most famous.s Rex Conflicts And