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The story of Oedipus has pervaded out society and has come to provide a great deal of individuals with more information regarding thinking in Ancient Greece. Sophocles designed the story so as for audiences to gain a complex understanding of the tragic irony unfolding as the storyline progresses. The ancient Greek tragedian told the story of a young individual who becomes addicted to material values and unknowingly comes to murder his father, marry his mother, and eventually ends up being both brother and father to his children. Irony is one of the principal concepts dominating the play and it makes it possible for audiences to express little to no surprise regarding how the storyline unfolds. Oedipus' father is the person responsible for triggering a series of interdependent unfortunate events, as he believes that he can alter fate by getting actively involved in removing the possibility of his son being the one who kills him. Oedipus' addiction to justice makes him ignorant in particular cases and makes both remarks and acts that later backfires on him.

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The first example of irony takes place when Oedipus encounters Creon and is informed that he needs to identify and penalize then individual accountable for murdering the former king. Doing so would apparently assist the people of Thebes by ending the tragedies that have happened to them in the years precedent to Creon's meet with Oedipus. While this might be interpreted as being a coincidence, it is obvious that the chain of unfortunate events was unbreakable and that it was impossible for Oedipus or for someone else to stop it. Justice needs to prevail, regardless of the factors involved or of the culpability of particular characters in the play.

Creon's claim that "This blood brings on the storm which blasts our state" (119) actually demonstrates that Oedipus' bloodline is responsible for the tragedies occurring throughout Thebes and that it is essential for someone to do something concerning this problem. Oedipus himself unknowingly swears that he is going to do everything in his power in order to assist his people and in order for the corrupt bloodline dominating the city to be removed. Oedipus is thus doomed from the very first years of his life as it is impossible for him or for anyone else to change his fate. The fact that Sophocles shows him during his early years as having his feet bound actually contributes to making audiences feel that this person is doomed to suffer forever (Oedipus the King: Shmoop Literature Guide 33).

The storm of destruction is inevitable and it is important for Oedipus to be an active part of this process in order for the people whom he loves to be unharmed. Conditions become critical when it is revealed that Oedipus is actually the one who killed Laius and that the new king is the former king's son. It is revealed that Oedipus' family is dysfunctional and that it is absurd for the people of Thebes to accept such an immoral person to control the territory. Creon's thinking also points toward the belief that Laius is actually the person to blame for all the suffering happening to Oedipus and to Thebes as a whole.

Oedipus contrasts Laius though his general attitude and he is unhesitant about admitting his guilt in spite of the fact that he did not know that Laius was his father and that Jocasta was his mother. Sophocles brings on questions related to logics and morality by portraying Oedipus as a person who is determined to do the right thing regardless of the circumstances involved. His choice to kill Laius is owed to the fact that he defends himself, as he does not necessarily intend to murder the man.

In spite of the fact that both the people of Thebes and Creon himself are inclined to consider that Oedipus is guilty as a result of the storm that has come over the city, this is a controversial matter. The Gods claim that "What is sought / is found, but what is overlooked escapes" and this points toward the belief that Oedipus should not be considered guilty as long as no one knows about the immoral acts that he committed. Tiresias actually intervenes at this point and tries to influence Oedipus not to go in search of Laius's killer. "Teiresias is literally blind, but he can see clearly the horror that is Oedipus' past, present, and future" (Oedipus the King: Shmoop Literature Guide 33). Oedipus is not obliged to go in search of Laius' killer, but does so nonetheless, thus proving his appreciation of justice. If he were to provide lesser attention to the storm and to Laius' murderer he would have probably been absolved of his sins and conditions would have probably improved in Thebes as time passed. However, Sophocles wants irony to dominate the whole play and makes Laius go as far as to insist that it is important for him to capture the killer.

Oedipus' misunderstanding of a series of situations further aggravates the situation and brings on painful costs. The fact that he believes that he will eventually do a favor to himself by discovering Laius' murderer is one of the most intriguing acts of ignorance that Oedipus commits. The irony is that he actually believes that he is going to feel better about himself as a result of bringing justice to Thebes.