Examine Sophocles's use of dramatic irony in Oedipus Rex?

There are three
types of : dramatic, verbal, and situational.

Dramatic irony occurs when the
audience knows something that thedon't. This often occurs in a simplistic way in thrillers or
horror movies when the audience knows that the killer or monster is lurking nearby, but the
characters don't. The descrepency between what the audience knows and the characters know
creates tension and suspense.

Inthe dramatic irony is much more complex. We,
the audience, know thatis the king's killer and his own mother's husband. Since we know this,
his efforts to find the king's killer creates a strong sense of "doom" about Oedipus
on the part of the audience. As he gets closer and closer to the truth, we know that he is
getting closer and closer to knowledge that will destroy him.

Creating the
dramatically ironic situation requires a lot of skill on the part of the writer. When it is done
effectively, it forces the audience to focus on the character's development, rather than on
superficial plot twists. It's a great way for a writer to delve into the psychological makeup of
his character.