Oediups: An Analysis of Literary Devices

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Literary DeviceQuoteAnalysisToneDictionIrony“I come to see it with my eyes, no messenger’s.” (Roche 5)Oedipus cannot see the truth with his own eyesOedipus thinks he is superior to suppliantsOedipus is honorable“We know you are no god, omnipotent with gods.” (Roche 6)Priest and suppliants do not know Oedipus is powerless against fateReverenceNot god, powerless“So, go, you best of men.” (Roche 6)Oedipus not best of men. Patricide & incest.A plea to the heroBest of men, not on par with gods“Your old devotion celebrates you still/as Defender of the State.” (Roche 6)Not defender, because of Oedipus that Thebes goes to ruins now (Laius must be avenged)“I know too well, you all are sick, yet sick, /not one so sick as I” (Roche 7)Oedipus does not know how “sick” he is, in that he is double cursedOedipus more important, above suppliantsSick (fate)“whatsoever he shall tell me from the god, /that to the hilt I’ll do – or I am damned.” (Roche 7)Oedipus already damned (and damning himself)Full of promise and honorRisk his own for others, overconfidence“So I’ve heard… A man I never saw.” (Roche 9)No self-knowledge that he killed Laius.“Then I’ll go back and drag that shadowed past to light.” (Roche 11)Oedipus is in the dark, he is the one to be cursed when it’s dragged to lightConfidenceDrag: unwanted truthShadowed past: Oedipus’ pastLight: truth“For who knows, tomorrow this selfsame murderer/may turn his bloody hands on me. /The cause of Laius therefore is my own.” (Roche 11)Oedipus killed Laius, ironic that he says the cause of Laius is his own. He is the cause, and will be the cause of his own downfall.Bloody hands: dirtied, Oedipus“I speak of course as stranger to the story/and stranger to the crime,” (Roche 14)He is no
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stranger to the death of Laius, he is the murdererAccusatory, “if you don’t tell me, it’ll never be solved”Self-defensive words, “stranger” to both story and crime“Then on myself I call down every curse I’ve just invoked.” (Roche 15)Double cursed himself. He is the murderer and he is the avengerOedipus is honorable“Such ties swear me to his side/as if he were my father.” (Roche 15)He is Oedipus’ father.“And if you had your eyes/I’d say you played that chief part too.” (Roche 20)Oedipus is the murderer and is the “blind” one, not TiresiasAccusing Tiresias as a hand in the murder of Laius“if ...

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