AP & PACC Literature & Composition

Dramatic Irony

Example

Purpose

P 10 “And for myself I pray, if with my knowledge . . . That I may suffer all that I invoked on these just now.”

Humor (Oedipus is oblivious)

Empathy (you know he is the guilty one and has no idea)

P. 10 “Since I am vested with the government Which he held once, and have his marriage-bed (doh!), and the same wife (doh!); and since our progeny – if his had not miscarried (doh!) – had sprung from us (doh! X2) with common ties of common motherhood (yikes!) – only that fate came heavy upon his head – on these accounts, I as for my own father, will fight this fight”

Humor

Focus on characterization

P44-45: Jocasta kills herself, fulfilling the prophecy that Oedipus would kill his parents.

Empathy

P 26 “It would be sweet to see a parent’s face”

Humor

Empathy

Oedipus leaves Corinth to save his parents, but fulfills the prophecy with his real parents in Thebes.

Empathy

P 35 “And how can I help dreading my mother’s bed?”

Humor

Empathy

“That I should leave my birth unknown” . . . “it cannot injure you”

Humor

Empathy

P29 “I pollute my victim’s bed”

Humor

Focus on Oedipus’ partial-revelation and coming “double whammy that’s going to hit him in the butt”

P3 “There is not one of you so sick as I”

Humor

Sympathy – he will feel worse

Focus on Oedipus’ character

P30 “The death of Laius, as it should have been, Whom Loxias declared my son must slay! After all, the poor thing never killed him, But died itself before! “ . . . P35 “Let none of these predictions any more weigh on your mind!

Empathy

Focus on the complexities of the situation

Tiresias tells Oedipus that he is the murderer and Oedipus does not believe him à blames Creon.

Focus on Oedipus

Oedipus’ figure looks just like Laius’ figure

A mind well-balanced cannot turn to crime