PART III
b.  Define dramatic irony and show how it is used throughout the play.

    Dramatic irony is an effect achieved by making the audience aware of something a character or participant does not know.  Dramatic irony is used throughout the play in many different ways.  One way is the fact that Oedipus has killed his father Laius without knowing who Laius is.  Another way is the fact that Teiresias is a seer but yet he is blind.  The final way is the way Oedipus and Iocaste worship Apollo.
    The first way that dramatic irony is used throughou the play is the fact that Oedipus killed the last King of the Kingdom that he now rules, who was known as Laius, and also Oedipus' father.  Oedipus believed that a man named Polybus was his father.  But Oedipus ran away from the town where he was living after hearing the prophesy that he would kill his father with his bear hands.  Because Oedipus did not want the oracle to come true, he went to another town to stay away from the man he believed to be his father.  But on his journey Oedipus unaware bumped into this King named Laius, where he (Oedipus) killed him not knowing that he was his father.  The ironic part of this story is that after Oedipus became the new King he set out to find the previous King, Laius' killer.  In this process of finding the killer of Laius he received information on the killing that he, for one was the son of Laius, and two the oracle came true when he killed him with his bear hands.
    The second way that dramatic irony is used throughout the play is the fact that Teiresias the prophet who is also known as a seer is really blind.  Teiresias tells Oedipus that he (Oedipus) is the killer that he (Oedipus) is searching for.  Then Teiresias tells Oedipus that he (Oedipus) killed Laius, and also that Laius is his father.  The ironic thing about Teiresias is that he is called the seer and he knows everything that is going on in the village, but yet he is blind.
    The final way that dramatic irony is used throughout the play is the irony of Oedipus and Iocastes worship of Apollo.  Oedipus and Iocaste both do not worship Apollo faithfully because they did not respect the oracle of their child by tying to kill him.  I feel that the reason they don't want to worship him is because he put something negative on them forcing death to them and disgrace.  The ironic thing about Oedipus and Iocaste was that they did not worship the god Apollo but they were suppose to be loyal to their Kingdom.
    In conclusion there were many dramatic ironic events throughout Oedipus the King, for example Oedipus killed Laius by not knowing he was his father and trying to prove the prophesy wrong.

Part IV

a. Laius and Iocaste when they hear the horrible prophesy of their baby's future.

Laius:  What did we do to deserve a punishment like this?

Iocaste:  I don't know Dear, but I am sure we will find some way to get out of this.

Laius:  What could we possibly do to get out of this situation?

Iocaste:  Laius there is only two things:

We could either kill the child or We could raise him and teach him of this prophesy to insure that he will

do the opposite.

L:  Iocaste I don't believe that this hear child was meant to be in this world.  I think that if we let this child live

he will only bring us troubles.  He is probably bad luck, for why would the gods curse us with such troubles

of having one of our own flesh and blood, disgrace us with no honor.

I:  Laius I don't know why the gods have cursed us in this way.  But maybe this is just a trick, maybe there is no truth in this

prophesy, or maybe the gods are just testing us to see if we make the right decision on our new child life.