will only end when Laius s killer is punished Oedipus is unaware that he is the murderer As a result he declares nbsp Upon the murderer I invoke this curse whether he is one man or many may he drag out his life in misery nbsp The audience knows Oedipus is unknowingly cursing himself His determination to punish the killer is ironic because it ultimately brings about his own downfall nbsp Oedipus s Plan to Uncover the Truth As king Oedipus vows to save Thebes by finding the murderer He states I will bring it all to light nbsp These words display the irony of his quest The audience knows he is searching for himself but Oedipus remains ignorant His determination to uncover the truth about Laius s murder shows his commitment to justice However it also reveals his tragic fate The irony grows stronger with each step Oedipus takes to uncover the truth His search ultimately leads him to realize that he himself is the cause of Thebes s suffering The Role of Teiresias Sophocles uses the theme of blindness and sight to show dramatic irony Teiresias is the blind prophet He knows the truth about Oedipus s identity However Oedipus who has physical sight is blind to the truth Teiresias tells Oedipus You have your eyesight and you do not see how miserable you are The blind Teiresias can see that Oedipus is the cause of the plague but Oedipus does not see This creates dramatic irony Oedipus refuses to believe him He accuses Teiresias of conspiring with Creon to overthrow him The audience knows Teiresias is telling the truth This ironic situation creates tension and shows Oedipus s ignorance Jocasta s Words and the Crossroads Jocasta too unknowingly contributes to the dramatic irony She dismisses the prophecies She tells Oedipus that her son who was predicted to kill Laius was left to die in the mountains She also mentions that Laius was killed by strangers at a crossroads The audience however knows these details point directly to Oedipus Jocasta s casual mention of the crossroads becomes a crucial clue It reminds Oedipus of a time when he killed a man in a similar place As Oedipus digs deeper into the truth he realizes he is Laius s murderer and Jocasta s son nbsp In conclusion dramatic irony is central to the power of Oedipus Rex Lines like I will bring it all to light uphold Oedipus s ignorance and the audience s awareness of the truth Dramatic irony keeps the audience engaged as they watch Oedipus s tragic journey unfold Sophocles uses irony to highlight themes of fate blindness and the limits of human understanding The play shows that no one can escape destiny The play also leaves a lasting impact through its use of dramatic irony