How to Attempt Reference to the Context question in examination

How to Attempt Reference to the Context question in examination

Exemplary lines

And i tell you what i think
You planned it,you had it done
You all but killed him with your hands
If you had eyes,i will say
the crime was yours and yours alone

Reference to the context
These lines have been taken from Shophocles' play "Oedipus Rex". In this play we came across king Oedipus who is trying to solve the riddle of king Laious' murderer because it is the murderer who is the cause of calamity. Being a loving and responsible king he wants to save his subject and for this purpose he consults Teiresias who could help him surely.

Explanation
In these lines king Oedipus is talking to Teiresias who has refused to reveal the murderer's name in spite of all pleadings of the king. Finally when he refused to utter the murderer's name, Oedipus got hyper and insulted the prophet of Apollo. Along with this he immediately concluded that Teiresias is hiding the name of the murderer as if he himself is the murderer.

Though the conclusion of Oedipus was not wrong if we analyse it from an honest king's point of view who is restless to solve the issue because his nation is suffering. His attitude shows his honesty,care and devotion for his nation.But this is  the one side of picture. If we analysed this behaviour in an other way we will see that Oedipus had immediately drawn the conclusion in a very rash mood. His anger, harshness, and jumping at conclusion without solid proof were his tragic flaws which became the cause of his tragedy.

Oedipus had no solid proof of Teiresias' disloyalty. He must keep in mind to whom he was talking. He was talking to the prophet of Apollo. This shows that Oedipus had no ability to judge the man or situation. Here  the reader is forced to think that deep down Oedipus was proud of his worldly wisdom which forced him for this blasphemous act. Here we are reminded of Dr. Faustus who was also proud of his worldly wisdom and because of it he performed blasphemous acts but the comparison is just limited.

These lines are basically ironic in nature. Oedipus was blaming Teireias for the murder but in fact he himself had no knowledge of it that he himself is that curse   man who is the cause of calamity. It is one of the best example of irony found in this play.