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actual paper hurr
Howard -Censored-
Mrs. McKenna
English
11 November 2009
Oedipus The King
The popularity of the novel Oedipus The King, can be accredited to its perfect usage of dramatic irony. For showing weakness, for proving fate, and for showing the depth of the novel, instances of dramatic irony make the novel a timeless piece that people can learn from for a long time to come(Core 6). Throughout the novel, Oedipus constantly curses and threatens the person who killed Laius, unbeknownst to him that this person was actually himself. In the end, Oedipus makes his once horrible fate even worse, going from killing his father and marrying his mother, to cursing himself for his entire life, because he didn't listen to reason and made rash decisions which only made his fate worse.
In the novel, out of rage, Oedipus curses the person who killed Laius stating "Whoever he was that killed the king may readily wish to dispatch me with his murderous hand", and "I drive pollution from the land". Cursing the killer of Laius, ordering banishment from the kingdom, and saying the killer was ready to dispatch with a murderous hand, he inadvertently condemned himself to be driven out of the kingdom and live a life of misery(Core 9). Oedipus cursing himself played a very large part in the story, by doing so, he highlighted one of his biggest flaws, making hasty decisions. If Oedipus thought this idea through instead of cursing the person to banishment, he would have saved himself hardship in the future. When Oedipus made that promise, he deepened the dramatic irony in the story, making it a much more in- depth novel and more compelling to read. Let us, unlike Oedipus, not jump to conclusions and make rash decisions, but think things through and stay calm in stressful situations(Core 10).
"I invoke this curse whether he is one man and all unknown, or one of many may he wear out his life in misery to miserable doom!". This line was from Oedipus' second curse that he unknowingly placed upon himself. The dramatic irony truly shows at this point, the fact that the reader knows that Oedipus is further punishing himself really gives the novel a unique quality, which allows it to be such a timeless piece. After Oedipus placed the curses on himself, he finally starts to piece the story together and realize that he had just cursed himself. As the reader, this is the climax of the novel because throughout the whole story I was waiting for Oedipus to realize his wrong doings, after he realized them, everything he once cursed on another fell unto him.
ignore the underlined sentences i know theyre weird
