Drama \"Oedipus the King,\" by Sophocles. Specifically,

¶ … drama "Oedipus the King," by Sophocles. Specifically, it will identify and apply terminology used in the play, and identify the term "irony."

OEDIPUS

These literary devices are important parts of drama.

exposition - Exposition is the beginning of the play which sets the tone, theme, mood, and setting of the play. In "Oedipus the King," the exposition lists who is on stage, who is speaking, and describes the royal palace in Thebes.

rising action - Rising action is the part of the play which brings the action to a climax, and is usually the most exiting or suspenseful moment in the play. In "Oedipus," the climax comes when Oedipus discovers he killed his father, married his mother, and fathered children by Jacosta. He then blinds himself, and this is the climax, which the discoveries, and the continued action of the play, lead up to. The rising action makes the climax more effective, or more exciting.

3.climax - The climax is the culminating moment of the play, which the rising action all leads to. Oedipus blinding himself is the climax of this play.

4.denouement - The denouement is also called "falling action," and is the culmination or final ending of the play. The denouement ties up loose ends, and is the result of the rising action and climax. In "Oedipus," the denouement is when Oedipus leaves and sends himself into exile after blinding himself.

All effective pieces of drama and/or literature use these literary devices to create plays and works that are effective, adsorbing, and memorable. Exposition, rising and falling action, climax, and denouement are all necessary for good drama, because they lead the play in a distinct direction, and if the viewer or reader understands these forms of dramatic device, they will understand the drama even better.

Irony is an integral part of "Oedipus the King," because much of the plot revolves around irony. It is quite ironic that Oedipus would meet his father on the road, kill him, and then go on to marry his own mother. The actual odds of this happening are quite high, and that is what makes the situation so ironic. It is also quite ironic that the blind prophet of Apollo, Teiresias, warns of danger, but than Oedipus ignores his warnings, and ultimately ends up blind himself. Irony tends to be the opposite of what is expected, and in Oedipus, it is not expected a child will grow up to kill their father and marry their mother, or go on to blind themselves after ignoring a wise blind man.