How Does Sophocles Use Irony In Oedipus Rex

In his play, Oedipus Rex, Sophocles uses irony to construct the plot and unravel the unfortunate truth. Oedipus Rex, also known as Oedipus the King, was written by one of the ancient Greek tragedians Sophocles during what is called the “Golden Age of Greece”. In this play, the main character Oedipus is warned that he will murder his father and marry his mother. He does everything in his power to prevent the fulfilment of the prediction, but despite his efforts Oedipus does commit the awful crimes. Sophocles uses the ignorance of his main character to instill ironic points into the story.

As a young man, Oedipus was a prince in the kingdom of Corinth. He had no reason to believe any different until a drunken man accused him of not being his