" Irony In Oedipus Rex"
The success of Oedipus Rex as one of the greatest Sphoclean tragedies is largly due to the brilliant use of dramatic irony.Sophocles creats verious situations in which dramatic irony play the key role in the downfall of Oedipus.Mostly, its dramatic irony that plays a vital role in the fortune of Oedipus.Besically Irony is:
"An expression or utterance marked by deliberate contrast between apparent and intend meaning" 
Its not only use in tragedies but lso in comedies.The use of irony adds to the complexity of a play.It arouses interest in the audience and readers because they know everything , they know the truth, and eagerly watch how a specific character , especially the protagonist act and reacts in a particular situation.
Irony involves differences between appearnce and reality , expectation and result or meaning and intention.Being ignorant by fate or circumstances the charter tries to get rid of trouble but is entangled more nd more into it because of his doomed fate .His actions are ironic to an audience who knows that the tragic outcome of the story can't be avoidid or his actions are leading him to a big disaster.Thus clues may be rather obvious but the character may be unwillingly to recogniza the truth.
In this play there are two different attempts to avert the working of fate when an oracle tells the king laios that his son will kill him and marry his mother, then Laius and jocasta give their infant son to a shefrd to leave him on a hill side to be killed there; and when Oedipus hears the same prediction , he leaves Corinth to avoid the shamefull situation.
there are three types of irony in Odipus rex.
Verbal irony , situational irony and dramatic irony.
Mostly the words that Oedipus utters in play filled with dramatic irony.As he himself don't know the truth but audience knows everything.
