An ironic moment in Oedipus, is at the climax of the play, when Oedipus finally
realizes that he is in fact the murderer of Laius and the one who fulfills
Tiresias’s prophecy. Oedipus realizes Tiresias speaks the truth when his wife,
Jocasta tells him about a prophecy which said her and Laius’s son would murder
Laius and sleep with her. Oedipus recognizes that this tale seems all too familiar
to his doings. His mind immediately starts racing with “what if” thoughts and
he starts asking Jocasta for more information, saying “Strange, hearing you just
now…my mind wandered, my thoughts racing back and forth.” (800-802) and “Where
dis this thing happen? Be precise.” (807). This moment is ironic because when
Tiresias had told Oedipus that he was the one responsible for the murder of
Laius, he was shocked that he could even suggest such an idea. Oedipus was
offended that Tiresias claimed this was the prophecy because he had vowed to be
the savior of Thebes, as he was their king. If this prophecy turned out to be
true, it would mean that he had betrayed the people of Thebes. Oedipus had
denied the claims made by Tiresias, saying he would never do such a thing but
then he realized that he was right. This plot twist was clearly unexpected for
Oedipus, realizing that Jocasta and Laius are his parents, as he stabs out his
own eyes with Jocasta’s brooches.
I like the quote that you used to relate to the story and I think it portrays the story perfectly. The prophecy that Tiresias tells Oedipus reminds him a lot of what he may have done in his past which worries him, making him have the need to find out if it was he who was the infamous killer. He hated what Tiresias was telling him though once he found out it was the truth, he took extreme measures like gouging his eyes out, fulfilling the prophecy that much more. The prophecy Tiresias had told had then become true, all in all.
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