Irony is an important part in Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles. The play revolves around two attempts to change fate: Jocasta and Laius's killing of Oedipus at birth and Oedipus's flight from Corinth. In both occasions, an oracle's prophecies come true regardless of the characters' actions. Jocasta sends Oedipus off to death only to find his health restored and married to her. Oedipus flees from Corinth and in doing so, he finds his real parents carrying out the oracle's words. Each time when Oedipus and Jocasta try to interfere with the future that the oracles predict, the audience knows that their attempts are useless which creates irony throughout the play.
             Furthermore, Jocasta and Oedipus express their disbelief in oracles which appears ironic to the audience. In attempt to calm Oedipus, Jocasta tells him that the oracles are false, yet in the next scene, she is at an alter praying to the gods whose powers she has just denied. Oedipus rejoices when he finds Polybus to be dead because he believes that this is a sign that the oracles are fallible. Oedipus will not return to Corinth because of the oracle's statement about Meropé may come true. Jocasta and Oedipus continue to believe that the oracles may be right, that gods can predict the future, and of course the audience knows that is true.
             Oedipus discounts the power of the gods; therefore, he values the power of truth. Oedipus counts on his own ability to seek the truth rather than rely on the gods' power. The irony is that the oracles and Oedipus's seek for truth lead to the same outcome. Oedipus's search for truth reveals that the oracles' prophecies are true. Ironically, it is Oedipus's rejection of the oracles that proves their prophecies to be true.
             There are two ways of reading the play of Oedipus. One is to say that he is a marionette of fate, incapable of doing anything to alter the destiny that ...