Sophocles is able to rework the classic story of Oedipus into a play form, and in doing so, gives the story of Oedipus new life and new relevance. The story of Oedipus seems to be perfectly fit to be told in a play format, and this is partly due to the skillful adaptations of Sophocles. Instead of only utilizing monologues, Sophocles used dialogue to his advantage. While a monologue is useful in describing a situation, dialogue shows what is actually happening in present time and creates a life-like situation and interaction. Sophocles also, wisely, relies on Dramatic Irony to build much of the anticipation of the play. Since “Oedipus the King” is a tragedy, it lends itself very well to a dramatic portrayal on stage, and dramatic irony plays a large part in that. Throughout the play, the entire audience knows what Oedipus does not, and the anticipation of the final revealing of the secret is what gives the play much of its popularity.
In the story itself, I was also fascinated by the idea of the inescapability of fate. After the prophecy was made by the soothsayer, Oedipus is sent away and several measures are taken to ensure that Oedipus would not fulfill his destiny of killing his father. However, he eventually the prophecy eventually ends up coming true, due to a series of events that are against all odds. Oedipus just happened to hear that his parents were not who he thought they were, he just happened to be journeying to Delphi to find his true fate, and he just happened to be at the exact crossroad at the exact time that his biological father was. Oedipus was actually fleeing his childhood home to try and escape his fate. Little did he know that he was actually walking right into it. His fate was inescapable, and no matter how hard he tried to thwart his fate, he was destined for doom.
Overall, Sophocles weaves together technical ability and a compelling story to create a play that will be remembered always.
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