In Oedipus Rex, the tragedy that takes place is within the comparison or the beginning of the story to the end. In the beginning of Oedipus Rex, the citizens adore and admire their king for his valiant behavior in solving the riddles of the Sphinx. As the story moves forward, Oedipus is avoiding the prophecy that will inevitably come true, which ultimately leads to his defeat. As a reader, the prophecy slowly but surely pieces itself together throughout the story. This makes the ending all the more tragic. I believe that Oedipus did nothing wrong, he had no idea that Jocasta was his biological mother. Fate plays a major part in creating this shift. The prophecy had to come true, no matter how hard both players of the story attempt to avoid it.
The use of dramatic irony enhances the tragedy in this story even more. It is ironic that Oedipus flees Corinth to avoid his so thought 'parents', but the readers know he's only getting closer to Jocasta, his real mom. It is also ironic that Oedipus can contain the answers to the Sphinx's riddles yet have no answer to the riddle of his very own existence. The irony in all this is that Jocasta made sure her son would never find her again, but yet the prophecy came true, and therein lies the tragedy.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |