Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Rex

Dramatic Irony involves a situation in a play in which the character

is ignorant of the reality which audience shares with the dramatist,
and which the character will find out later. In that situation, the
character unknowingly acts in a way we recognize in a badly
mistaken way. He expects the opposite of what the fate has in stock
for him.
The dramatic irony was a handy tool for the writers of Greek
tragedies because they based their plays on some well-known
myths. The audience as such knew in advance what would be the
outcome of the play. They could easily understand the error of the
character's understanding of the dramatic situation and the
actuality behind their speech and actions.

Irony is a basic part of the theme of the drama of Oedipus. The play
of Oedipus Rex is based on a single all-pervasive irony that Oedipus
seeks to find the murderer which is but himself. Ironically, his curse
falls upon himself, and his search ends in the tragic realization of his
failure to overcome fate. Ironically, he has run madly into the very
ditch which he has been running so madly to avoid throughout his
life. It is ironical that he has blinded his inner eyes by trusting too
much in his external eyes. It is also ironical that Oedipus is such a
good man who wholeheartedly puts his life in escaping the doom,
but is also such a bad man who is so arrogant and proud that he
challenges the invincible. How ironical it is that he obeys the voice
of his conscience to disobey the gods and commit the unknowing
crimes; not fearing that fate may work beyond the powers of his
understanding, he kills of killing a man old enough to be his father
and marries a woman old enough to be his mother. And how ironical
and even puzzlingly paradoxical it is that he escaped from Corinth
because he believed in the dangers of fate, and also because he
didn't believe that it was not possible to overcome fate! Oedipus,
having achieved a vision of the terrible truth, blinds himself. Out of
this single but powerful irony, several other ironic situations have
been developed.
The success of Oedipus Rex as one of the greatest Sophoclean
tragedies is largely due to the brilliant interplay of dramatic irony in
the play. From the beginning 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 these facts. Therefore, every word, every reaction of
Oedipus with regards to the murder 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.
Little does he realize that in cursing 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 life of pain and suffering. Another important instance of
dramatic irony is a little later in this same section when the old
soothsayer visits the king. When Oedipus beings to ridicules
Teiresias' blindness, he is turn predicts and unusual circumstance.
The angry prophet warns that while Oedipus can see, he is actually
'blind' (that means he will be denied the truth) whereas when he will
turn blind (i.e. lose his eyesight) only then will he be able to see (or
realize) the truth. It is also ironic that old Teiresias who has no
eyesight can perceive reality accurately.

There are many other instances of dramatic irony in the play. In the
very first scene (the prologue), Oedipus praises himself as a great
and famous king, and he says that "once more I 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.
When he adds that he will act on his own interest "and not as
though it were for some distant friend/ but for my own sake, to be rid
of evil", we understand the bitter and the unconscious dramatic
irony. We understand that he is actually going to get rid of the evil of
arrogantly taking fate in his hands and deliberately doing things that
he doesn't understand, though he means it in quite another sense.
Without realizing the darkness forthcoming in his life, he proclaims
what is to be done to the murderer, and he decks a number of curses
upon his own head! The curse is painfully ironic:

I pray to God -
I pray that that man's life be consumed in evil and wretchedness.

And as for me, this curse applies no less If it should turn out that
the culprit is my guest here...

Oedipus is pitiably ignorant that the curses are going to fall upon
himself. Oedipus's failure to understand Teiresias and also the
reluctance of the old shepherd are ironic too. Oedipus's flight from
Corinth is the most fatal irony in the life of Oedipus. He is in a
lifelong project of escaping the horrible fate, but fate has disposed
his plan and his life. These ironic instances evoke pity in the heart
of the spectators, yet they can do nothing but pity the poor man who
has nevertheless tried his best. What we can say to console
ourselves is that 'doing the best is life itself’.

In Oedipus Rex, Irony is not only a means and mode of

communicating the thematic messages, it is the theme of the play
itself. It is what gives a new life to a familiar old mythical story.
There are, in fact, many ways in which irony works in this play. The
central/thematic irony is that Oedipus's quest for knowledge and
truth, like every human being's, is in the end absurd, at least when it
is pushed beyond the reasonable extent. The future can never be
known. If there is something that knows the future and tells us that,
we are still helpless, simply because chances can be beyond our
control, and reality goes beyond our understanding. So, the irony of
Oedipus, the man's attempt to run away from the future and his
running into it, is the content and the theme of the drama itself.

Oedipus believes that he is the wisest of all Thebans: he has solved

the riddle of the sphinx, and is now ruling them. Everyone praises
him, and so does he! But what he does is to bring to himself the
realization of the utter darkness he was in. He accuses Teiresias of
lying and scolds him: "you sightless, witless, senseless, mad and old
man!" But Oedipus proves himself to be the most blind in his belief
and actions. He has been ignoring the inward eye in his trust and
confidence of the outward eye. That is perhaps why he destroys the
outward eyes at the end of the play.

Oedipus unconsciously speaks the truth in oblique ways: "I say I

take the son's part, just as though… "He moves from false
confidence to partial truth, and to disillusionment and complete
realization of his fatal mistake of disbelieving fate. Things are
revealed ironically. He is bent on proving what he never can!
Everything he wants to prove comes out to be the reverse. The
thematic reality is therefore the gap between the reality and man's
understanding of it.

The audience is always more knowledgeable than Oedipus, who

believes to be omniscient. One blunder he makes raises doubts in us
about the next attempt he makes. In the end, however, even the
audience realizes that no human being is free from the ironical
"situation" much of which is beyond their control. The irony of
Oedipus is universal, and so no one should smugly smile at Oedipus.
Indeed, the tragic irony of Oedipus terrifies everyone who really
thinks it over.

When irony is used structurally in a novel or a play, it is sometimes

called "tragic" or "dramatic" irony. In Oedipus Rex, Oedipus
attempts to find the murderer of Laios, king of Thebes, unaware that
he himself is the culprit, and moreover the culprit to unwittingly kill
Laios his father and marry his own mother lokaste. The audience,
which knows the truth, perceives the reality of his tragedy early in
the play and anticipates the consequences that Oedipus does not
expect. His statements become unconsciously ironic — as when he
says:

I must flee from Thebes...

For fear of joining my mother in marriage

And killing Polybos, my father

He does not know yet that he has done both! These cases of
dramatic irony lend pathos to the entire tragedy and enable the
reader of the play or the audience to sympathize with the ignorant
and the ill-fated protagonist. The effect of the tragedy is therefore
more profound and long lasting.
Dr Faustus Summary
Dr Faustus, a talented German scholar at Wittenberg Germany, who tries to go
beyond the limits of human knowledge. He learned everything he can learn
from the university almost every subject. But he was still unsatisfied, so he
thinks to try magic. A good and bad Angels arrive to him, to make choice
between religion and the path of Evil. With the help of his two fellows Valdes
and Cornelius, Faustus leans the basic of Black Art, with excitement that he will
become powerful and will do everything he wants. His fellows give him a book
of magic, with the help of that book he calls the devil Mephistopheles. Devil
decides the terms of agreement on behalf of Lucifer, that Faustus will sell his
soul to Lucifer in return Lucifer will grant him powers for twenty four years, and
devil Mephistopheles will be his servant. As per condition by Lucifer, Faustus
writes this agreement with his blood. Before signing the agreement, few
doubts and observations comes in his mind but then he puts them aside as
devil Mephistopheles distracts him with the dance of devils. Faustus requests a
wife but devil Mephistopheles denies, but he gives him a book of all magic.
When some time has passed, Faustus curses devil Mephistopheles for
depriving of heaven, although he has seen many wonders by devil
Mephistopheles. Mean time Good and Bad Angel arrive again. The Good Angel
tells him to repent and Bad Angel tells him to stick on the path of devil.
Suddenly Lucifer, Beelzebub and Mephistopheles return to warn Faustus. He
gets scared by them and agrees to never think any more about God. Lucifer
entertain Faustus by showing him Seven Deadly Sins, and then Lucifer promises
to show Faustus hell.
Later Faustus explored stars and earth with the help of Mephistopheles and fly
to Rome, where they attend the feast in the honour of St. Peter.
Mephistopheles and Faustus wait to see the Pope, who was proud and unholy
man. Faustus decides to play tricks with Pope so Faustus becomes invisible. On
his return back to home, Faustus knowledge of astronomy makes him famous.
Meanwhile, Robin the clown has also learned magic, and uses it to impress his
friend Rafe and call devil Mephistopheles, but devil does not go him. At the
court of Charles V, Faustus performs magic to entertain the Emperor. He also
do some funny trick with the knight in the court, named Benvolio. Due to this
disrespect Benvolio decides to take revenge. One night Benvolio beheads
Faustus and kills him with the help of his two friends, but with his magic
powers Faustus get alive again and orders Mephistopheles to punish them,
Faustus also grow horns on their heads.
One day Faustus dodges a horse dealer by selling his horse to him, when the
horse dealer returns to him due to his fraud, Faustus plays a magic trick which
scares and make the horse dealer run away. Faustus then goes off to entertain
the Duke of Vanholt.
Faustus entertains the Duke and Duchess with his illusions and also present
grapes to Duchess on her request. Faustus’ twenty four years are running out.
Faustus tells his servant Wagner that he is near to his death and he has made
his will to leaving all his wealth to Wagner. Faustus spent his last days drinking
and feasting. On the request of his fellow scholars, Faustus also calls the spirit
of the Helen of Troy. Later, an Old Man enters and warns Faustus to repent but
Mephistopheles again threats Faustus. Faustus asks Mephistopheles to bring
Helen of Troy again to be his love and comfort for his last days.
Faustus tells his scholar friends that he is cursed and got his powers from
Lucifer at the price of his soul. His fiends leave him to other room by staying
with and praying for him. When the last hour approaches, Mephistopheles
taunts Faustus. Faustus blames Mephistopheles for his cursed and devil
proudly takes credits for it. The Good and Bad Angels arrive and Good angel
asks him to repent where Bad Angel tells Faustus that gates of hell are now
open for him and it is too late to repent. Faustus regrets his choice. At midnight
devils enter to take his soul, Faustus begs God and the devil for mercy, but
devils drag him away. Later his scholar friends find his body in pieces.
Author concludes that Faustus is gone and his great talent wasted. Author
warns readers with Faustus fall and learn the lesson.
Renaissance Elements in Dr Faustus

The word ‘Renaissance’ means ‘Rebirth’. It is believed that Europeans discovered the
superiority of Greek and Roman culture after many centuries. Thus the question rises, what
was the renaissance about? The answer is, it is huge cultural revival and making the division
between ‘Dark Ages’ and the modern world. Renaissance was the era of basic changes in
humans by religious drama and Christian theology. Renaissance is known due its unlimited
knowledge, love, supreme power, love of beauty and classicism.
Christopher Marlowe was the writer of Renaissance age, therefore his play Dr Faustus
contains Renaissance spirit, as we see Dr Faustus a wonderful example of Renaissance
elements and character of Dr Faustus as a Renaissance man.
The most important element of Renaissance is desire for Infinite knowledge. This desire has
been injected in Faustus properly. He learned all branches of knowledge but still hungry for
more knowledge. So he decided to practice black art.
After selling his soul to Lucifer, he asks very first question to Mephistopheles to know about
the mystery of hell. Faustus materialist desire like money and wealth are also the elements
of Renaissance. He also want to enjoy the life with full of worldly pleasures.
There is another element of Renaissance we see in Dr Faustus, i.e love for adventure and
love for beauty. He shows his desire to have most beautiful woman to be his wife and Helen
to be his beloved.
In Renaissance, the concept of fame was much developed than the middle ages. Dr Faustus
is tragic hero, his tragedy is created by his own and he does not think like traditional heroes.
He achieved the limits of fame which common people cannot.
Finally we must say that Faustus is a great example of Renaissance. He have all the qualities
of that age. Marlowe described Faustus with great care and interest so he merged every
element like, power, curious knowledge, enterprise, wealth and beauty.