Use Of Irony In Literature

this essay is about irony in the book oedipus rex, There are many reasons why an author might use irony: Irony can heighten suspense. Irony can add humor. Irony can assist in developing the depth of a character. Irony can express theme Irony can assist in foreshadowing Analyze how the playwright uses irony (situational, dramatic, and verbal) throughout the play, and analyze how its use Makes Oedipus a less (or more) sympathetic character OR Highlights Oedipus’ tragic flaw You should first think about how you want to organize your essay. This is easy because you will discuss each of the different types of irony. The challenge, however, is in deciding if the irony makes Oedipus more or less sympathetic and how (ex: it is ironic that Oedipus leaves Corinth to avoid his fate, and the oracle comes true anyway; however, how does that make him more sympathetic?) Or, you may want to think about Oedipus’ hamartia. Is he too proud? Is he too easily angered? Is he too quick to jump to conclusions? Whatever you think his flaw is, how is it showcased by the enormous amount of irony in the play? Remember, in each of your body paragraphs, you must have purpose statements that go back to your thesis and answer this second part of the prompt. Example thesis statements: Through Sophocles’ use of verbal, situational, and dramatic irony, Oedipus becomes a seemingly more sympathetic character leading up to the culmination of his demise. The generous use of verbal, situational, and dramatic irony highlights Oedipus’s hubris, and through his over-confidence and pride, his hamartia causes him to become the tragic hero of his prophesied fate. **(remember you do not have to use all three types of irony, SO your thesis may only have verbal or situational irony instead of the three; it could also be just one of them listed such as dramatic irony in the underlined words above). ***NOTE When citing quotes from Oedipus Rex, you will put Sophocles and the page number in parentheses. Ex: Jocasta says, “For God’s love, let us have no more questioning! / Is your life nothing to you?” (Sophocles 1112). A backslash shows where one line ends and another begins. You do put a space before and after the slash . Anything over three lines of verse needs to be blocked. this is what was provided