The whole play is filled with irony and paradox. ... Throughout the play there is a great deal of paradox because Oedipus is so determined to avenge the king's killer that it becomes a huge downfall for him. ... This paradox is revealed in the play because Oedipus does not want to accept the fact that he killed his father and married his mother. ... Oedipus answers "man" to become king. ... Jocasta (Oedipus" mother) tries to keep believing that Polybus is Oedipus" father. ...

• Word Count: 897
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles is a classical Greek tragedy. ... The structure of play starts with prologue or opening scene, the paradox or first of the chorus's lyric songs or choral odes, a regular alternation of scenes in dialogue and choral odes and the exodus or concluding scene. ... For example, "Oedipus, the simple man, who knows nothing. ... this is when Oedipus mocks teiresias, Oedipus tires deliberately to be ironic when he says he is "simple man, who know nothing." ... The fundamental irony in Oedipus Rex that stems from the fact which the audience knows king Oedipus's true ide...

• Word Count: 703
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Irony and Paradox in Oedipus Rex The play Oedipus Rex is full of both irony and paradox. ... There is a huge paradox in the play that is found where Teiresias is speaking to Oedipus. ... Oedipus mocks him for being old and blind. Teiresias tells Oedipus that he is the blind one. ... The paradox and irony in the play give it both depth and texture. ...

• Word Count: 716
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Teiresias is paradoxical figure; he is blind, yet gives sight. ... Oedipus is proved guilty. ... Jocasta commits suicide, and Oedipus thinks it is his fault. ... In the drama, "Oedipus Rex", any number of gods could arguably be at work. ... Oedipus found this out the hard way....

• Word Count: 984
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Tiresias, the blind seer, most clearly illustrates the paradoxical relationship between blindness and sight in the play. ... But King Oedipus insists. Therefore, the profet said Oedipus was the murderer. ... But what would make Oedipus second guess his strong belief? ... Her mistakes are similar to Oedipus. ...

• Word Count: 707
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

The first major theme of fate is what had gotten the family of Oedipus where they were when the play began. Fate is why Oedipus winds up killing his own father and eventually ended up marrying his own mother and then later on he found out about all of this. ... In the first paragraph of the play it reads, "My darling sister Ismene, we have had a fine inheritance from Oedipus. ... This just shows how terrible fate has treated the family of Oedipus. ... Indeed, in her terms these absolutes are, paradoxically, just the things that live always. ...

• Word Count: 2111
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School