a Greek tragedy written by Sophocles in the early days of antiquity is based upon an even more ancient story in Greek mythology. Sophocles, however, knowing that his audience is aware of the outcome of the play utilizes that foreknowledge to create various situations in which dramatic and verbal irony play key roles. However, citing all of the irony in would require the writing of quite a hefty book, for time and convenience only a few examples will be cited. Through his use of irony Sophocles manages to avoid simply retelling an old tal ....