Compare and Contrast Research Essay on Oedipus Rex

Compare and Contrast Research on Oedipus Rex - Essay Example It is dramatic irony that the residents are seeking the solution to the problem from the one person causing their suffering by killing his predecessor king Laius. Both the residents and king Oedipus are privy of this fact. Dramatic irony is an aspect of style used in literary analysis in which the words as well as the actions of the characters in a given work of literature portray a different meaning for the reader than they do for the characters themselves. The situation arises when the reader seem to have a wider knowledge than the characters in the story. It can further be defined as a dramatic effect in which the audience is lead to develop an understanding of an incongruity that exist between a given situation and the accompanying speeches while the characters in the play are completely not aware of the incongruity. Dramatic irony comes when the old prophet, Tiresias is summoned by the king; Oedipus ridicules him because he is blind. The audience understands that Oedipus is blind to the truth. Tiresias in a fit of anger tells Oedipus that though he can see he is â€Å"blind† to the truth. When Oedipus becomes blind, he finally realizes the truth of what Tiresias had told him. The dramatic irony is that it is actually the blind man who sees in mocking Tiresias, Oedipus calls Tiresias â€Å"shameless and brainless, sightless, senseless sot. It is ironical when Oedipus calls the old man shameless when he is actually the one who is shameless for killing his father, inheriting his throne and marrying his own mother. When he vows not to stop until he finds and punishes Laius’ killer he says: â€Å"Now, since I am ruler and holds this kingdom that he held before- holding also the bed and wife we have both sown; and children of the same mother would have been born to us, had his line no t been ill-fated-since chance (270) has driven me into that one’s powers, therefore I shall