Oedipus The Irony Essay, Research Paper

Oedipus the Irony

In Sophocles & # 8217 ; s Oedipus The King, Oedipus & # 8217 ; s life was set for him. He learned through the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi, that during the span of his life-time that he would kill his male parent and get married his female parent. He was evidently concerned by this. Laius besides received the same Oracle from Apollo. Laius, the King of Thebes, was besides worried by this prognostication. They both tried to halt their fate and alter the hereafter. They believe that they were powerful plenty to command everything around them. Ironically, these two aliens meet and Oedipus putting to deaths Laius and marries Laius widow. Then in order to halt the pestilence that hits the metropolis Oedipus needs to happen the slaying of the former male monarch of Thebes. He even curses the slaying and demand that he speaks up. Ironically, it is no other than himself. He besides warned by his wife/mother Jocasta non to go on the hunt for slayer. He does non listen to her, and in return he discovers the atrocious truth. In which costs Jocasta her life. He besides says that he will travel easy on the adult male who will turn himself in for the slaying of Laius. But, ironically the penalty that he gives himself is far worse than anyone else would hold received. This great drama is filled with many misanthropic parts throughout. But the sarcasm is what makes this drama such mastermind.

When Laius got his Prophet of Apollo from Delphi ( that his boy would kill him and get married his widow ) , he tried to command religion by holding his babe male child killed. He had baby Oedipus bounded and pierced by the pess and left on the versant for dead. The babe was given to King Polybus, swayer of Corinth. Polybus took attention of Oedipus like one of his ain. Oedipus even believes that he was Polybus & # 8217 ; s boy. Then Oedipus received the same Oracle that he would kill his male parent and get married his female parent. He tried to contend religion by go forthing Corinth, so he could non kill Polybus ( who Oedipus though was his existent male parent ) . Both work forces tried to contend religion yet they alternatively themselves straight to their fate. Because on Oedipus journey off from the Kingdom of Corinth, he meet up with his true male parent, Laius, and killed him. Carry throughing the first portion of the Oracle. So even in seeking to halt religion, they alternatively fell strait into it. Ironically, in seeking to get away killing his male parent ( whom he thinks is Polybus ) he kills a complete alien ( his existent male parent, Laius ) .

I believe that in these two work forces seeking to contend religion, they lead themselves to it. Alternatively of halting the Oracle send to them, they stepped right into it. Even when they knew the hereafter they were unable to halt it. Unwittingly, Oedipus killed his male parent Laius. They both thought that they were able to command their ain fate, but in the terminal they walked right into it.

After killing Laius, Oedipus journeyed into the land of Thebes ( his place town ) . Bing a wise adult male, Oedipus saved the metropolis of Thebes by work outing the conundrum of the Sphinx, which was terrorising the people of the metropolis. As his wages, Oedipus went on to go King of Thebes and marry Jocasta widow of Laius. Therefore carry throughing the 2nd portion of the Oracle of Apollo. Then a great pestilence swept the metropolis. Oedipus learned from Creon ( Jocasta brother, Oedipus uncle ) that the lone manner that the pestilence would stop if Laius slaying was found, & # 8220 ; Creon: Banish the adult male, or pay back blood with blood./ Murder sets the plague-storm on the metropolis & # 8221 ; ( Oedipus the King, 113-114 ) . So the male monarch went on a hunt through the metropolis for

the slaying of the former male monarch of Thebes ( unwittingly himself ) . “Oedipus: if any one knows who murdered Laius, / the boy of Labdacus, I order him to reveal/ the whole truth to me” ( Oedipus the King, 254-256 ) . Then he calls for Lord Tiresias, who is a prophesier of Apollo. Tiresias does non desire to state the Oedipus the truth, because he knows that it will do great perturbation in the land. But Oedipus insists that Tiresias state what he knows. “Tiresias: I say you are the liquidator you hunt” ( Oedipus the King, 413 ) . Ironically in naming out for the liquidator of Laius, he is so naming out his ain religion.

I believe that in seeking to happen the bravo of Laius, Oedipus is sealing his ain religion. By seeking for the liquidator, he traveling to bring out something more hideous than he can even conceive of. He learns that he did finish his fate that the Oracle of Apollo has set for him. Jocasta tries to convey reassurance to Oedipus that could non hold killed Laius. & # 8220 ; Jocasta: still, my Godhead, / he could ne’er do the slaying of Laius/ genuinely fit the prognostication. Apollo was expressed: / my boy was doomed to kill my hubby & # 8221 ; ( Oedipus the King, 942-945 ) . She besides tries to see Oedipus that Oracle of Apollo was incorrectly, because Polybus has died non at the custodies Oedipus. & # 8220 ; Jocasta: This is the adult male that Oedipus feared for old ages, / he fled him, non to kill him & # 8211 ; and now he & # 8217 ; s dead & # 8221 ; ( Oedipus the King, 1036-1037 ) . Oedipus fills much better about this, & # 8220 ; Oedipus: all those prognostications I feared & # 8211 ; Polybus/ packs them off to kip with him in snake pit! / They & # 8217 ; re nil, worthless & # 8221 ; ( Oedipus the King, 1063-1064 ) . The sarcasm for all this is that Oedipus is relieved because he thinks that the Oracle was false because he did non kill Polybus. But he ne’er two and two together and relies that he is the boy of Laius non Polybus. And that he did really carry through the Oracle of Apollo. Jocasta knows that Oedipus should halt his hunt for the truth, but Oedipus would non listen to her. She begs to her husband/son to allow opportunity take precedency over his demand to happen the truth. She knows that the truth discovered will rend apart everything in their lives. & # 8220 ; Jocasta: What should a adult male fright? It & # 8217 ; s all opportunity, / opportunity regulations our lives./ Live, Oedipus, / as if there & # 8217 ; s no tomorrow! & # 8221 ; ( Oedipus the King, 1069-1070, 1077-1078 ) . Oedipus discovers the truth that he did kill his existent male parent so get married his female parent. He relies that the Oracle has come true. This is excessively much for Jocasta to manage and she kills herself. Ironically, that was Jocasta last twenty-four hours on Earth.

Oedipus is overwhelmed by what he has discovered. So he blind himself by seting his ain eyes out with the long gold pins off of Jocasta & # 8217 ; s vesture. This is really dry. Because he was willing to excuse any who admitted the offense and merely hold them exile from the land. Yet he was much harder on himself than he would hold been on anyone else. He cries out, & # 8220 ; You, / you & # 8217 ; ll see no more the hurting I suffered, all the hurting I caused! & # 8221 ; ( Oedipus the King, 1405-1406 )

The sarcasms of this drama a merely brilliant. They allowed the drama to travel on with such astonishing beauty. The sarcasm of Laius and Oedipus seeking to contend religion, yet alternatively walking right into it. If either one of these two decided non to command their religion the narrative would hold ne’er been able to take topographic point. The sarcasm of Jocasta warning Oedipus non to go on his hunt for the slaying, which leads to her perpetrating self-destruction. Just like all the other sarcasms, that all served a intent that keeps this narrative alive.