Oedipus Rex: Irony 2 key examples

This is neither the first nor the last time in Oedipus Rex where the end of the play is articulated by a character for the audience to hear. It is, however, a particularly complete instance of foreshadowing, as the entire conclusion of the play is described in somewhat explicit terms by Tiresias.

It is also a moment of dramatic irony, as the reader knows the subject of Tiresias's prophecy is Oedipus, while Oedipus himself is unaware of this fact. The ironic disconnect between the reader's awareness and Oedipus's knowledge is established relatively early in the play, creating a tension that builds with the story. The dramatic irony figuratively mimics Oedipus's blindness to the truth of the prophecy: Oedipus is "blind" yet "now has eyes," both in the sense that he has yet to literally blind himself, but also in the sense that he cannot yet see the truth of what Tiresias is saying. Oedipus Rex is one of the best examples of dramatic irony across literature, and Sophocles uses it heavily throughout the story.

The paradox results from the fact that it is Oedipus's very attempts to avoid the prophecy that end up ensuring he fulfills it. For example, Oedipus flees Corinth to avoid fulfilling the prophecy but encounters, and then murders, his real father as a result. In fact, the same can be said of Jocasta: for instance, when she cast out Oedipus as a child, she set the series of events in motion that would lead to him returning as king. By attempting to avoid fate, the characters in Oedipus Rex instead ensure that the future will occur exactly as foreseen.

There is also a paradox inherent to Jocasta's urging itself. Jocasta urges Oedipus to live at random, but it is Oedipus's choices—be they intentional or otherwise—that lead to his downfall. Oedipus can only act as he thinks is best, but by doing so, he dooms himself.

The quotation also contains irony, as Jocasta hints at Oedipus's fate unknowingly. When Jocasta explains, "not a man on earth can see a day ahead, groping through the dark," she urges Oedipus to embrace the lifestyle of a man who does not know his fate. However, Oedipus will soon live that exact life after he blinds himself, precisely because he becomes aware of his fate. Through irony, Sophocles highlights the futility of the characters' attempts to avoid the prophecy, as Jocasta believes she is describing how Oedipus can avoid his fate but is rather describing the exact fate that awaits him.