Oedipus Rex Literary Analysis
Oedipus Rex or Oedipus the King which is written by Sophocles is a popular Greek tragedy known for various considerable elements like the role of fate in a person’s life, their struggle to avoid the prophesied bad events, and their hamartia leading to the unfortunate events. In today’s article, several literary devices of Oedipus Rex will be discussed so that you can comprehend the literary value or analysis of this play effectively.
Analysis of Oedipus Rex:
The following are the analytical elements of the tragic play, Oedipus Rex, based on the author’s objective and modern research for the play:
Irony in the Play:
There are many examples of irony in the play. For example, the dominant irony is that Oedipus vowed to find the murderer of Laius and cursed him in the play too because he didn’t know that he actually murdered the king at a three-way crossroad. Then, he distrusted Tieresias and mocked him because of his blindness, but in reality, he was blind metaphorically because he couldn’t sense the truth without investigation. One last dominant ironic example is he believed that he avoided the prophecy, but he actually fulfilled it unknowingly.
Motifs in the play:
There are some motifs in the play. For example, there are many mentions of prophecies in the play. Therefore, Oedipus and Jocasta are seen discussing some prophecies that they try to avoid but end up making them true in their lives. This shows the power of the gods over human life represented by the writer, Sophocles. However, according to the modern concept of emotional intelligence, in the light of Oedipus’ flaws (anger, stubbornness, and arrogance), these prophecies don’t appear impossible to avoid.
Then, another motif is the pollution (moral corruption) in the play. The idea of this pollution is discussed many times in Oedipus Rex. Therefore, it has been shown in the play that there is some plague in Thebes that is discussed to be removed if the murderer of Laius is found and exiled from the city. The reader observes that Oedipus is found as the source of that pollution as he unknowingly murdered his father and married his mother.
Tone of Oedipus Rex:
Well, the tone of Oedipus Rex is tense, serious, and tragic, and it gradually darkens as the play moves towards the truth discovery. So overall, the play has a gloomy tone due to its tragic unfolding. From the beginning which started from the arrival of the plague in Thebes to the discovery of Laius’ murderer who turned out to be Oedipus (the king), the play grew darker scene by scene.
Genre of the play:
The genre of this play is tragedy as it’s a sad story of a king, Oedipus. The story focused on how the prophecy of an oracle came true despite the characters’ struggle to avoid the sad incidents. Actually, the father of Oedipus was destined by Apollo that his son would kill him and marry his mother because Laius raped a noble man (Chrysippus, the son of the king, Pelops). Laius and Jocasta tried their best efforts to avoid the tragic incidents but could not avoid them. Oedipus unknowingly murdered Laius and married Jocasta. So the play revolves around the idea of the irresistible authority of gods over human lives.
Style of the play:
The general style of Oedipus Rex is dialogue-based. Throughout the play, a reader mainly knows about the plot sections through its characters’ conversations. So the play heavily relies on various characters’ dialogues in various scenes for the story’s unfolding.
Conclusion:
So that is all about Oedipus Rex literary analysis. It is hoped that you like the piece. Besides, if you have any questions or concerns, then please let the author know through the email address or contact form on the site.