How Sophocles Made "Oedipus" Interesting

Since most of his contemporaries had heard the story, Sophocles had to craft the story in such a way to facilitate its entertainment value. However, since his audience only knew an abridged version from the “Odyssey,” he was able to embellish it. The story of Oedipus is, of course, a very unique, entertaining one; therefore, Sophocles’ job became telling it in a way to most effectively utilize its interesting plot. He does this by making the play very emotional and taking advantage of his viewers’ knowledge of the story.

Oedipus’s refusal to accept his guilt serves to reinforce the dramatic irony in the story. Initially, Oedipus is making threats upon the killer to the priest. His repeated calls for the death of the murdered of Laios has a comical effect, for a viewer who already knows the ending. Then, the arrival of Teiresias starts the process of getting the truth. And Oedipus adamantly refuses to listen to Teiresias. He says, “Say what you will. Whatever you say is worthless.” Then, his stubborn rejection turns into disrespect. He starts brazenly insulting Teiresias by mocking his age and blindness. The dramatic irony here is entertaining because the viewer knows that Oedipus is only setting himself up for a greater shock. And if one did not know better, one might start questioning the outcome of the story based on Oedipus’s conviction about his innocence.

Sophocles is able to create a lot of suspense before the revelation about Laios’s true manner of death. At first, Teiresias and Oedipus are just arguing in the abstract. Then, the messenger starts the process of implanting suspicion about the truth in Oedipus’s mind. However, the shepherd that is summoned to the scene gives the conclusive testimony about the murder of Laios. There is a substantial time delay before he makes his presence; the truth is revealed during the middle of the fourth scene of the play. To the viewer, all of this drama would have been unfolding for many minuted. During this time, Oedipus is in a state of confusion and quite scared because of the implications that are hinged on this information.

Then, the audience begins to pity Oedipus, despite his abominable deed. First, the death of Iocaste cements the reality of the situation. Her manner of death, and how Oedipus reacts upon seeing his dead mother, evokes sympathy for the plight of the family and the family’s abrupt fall from grace. Next, Oedipus’s reaction is also sad. He first laments his birth: “ If only I had died,/This weight of monstrous doom/ Could not have dragged me and my darlings down.” The juxtaposition of this statement coupled with the knowledge of his “true” birth is depressing because it shows how truly "unlucky" Oedipus is. Next, Oedipus’s justification for making himself blind is an emotional one. The topic of the kids is broached and Oedipus remarks that cannot bear to see his own children anymore, which is possibly the worst punishment for a parent, considering what he did.

Sophocles is able to make the otherwise generic story of Oedipus very gripping through his thoughtful additions in terms of plot and dialogue. He also uses the structure of plays to highlight some of the things he does with the plot.