Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful?
Tragic, Sympathetic, Foreboding, Ironic
It’s important to know Sophocles didn’t make the whole
Oedipus story up. The myths had been around, so Sophocles’ audience would have
been familiar with the tragic ending before the play began. This has a distinct
impact on the tone of the plays. The actions of the characters take on a sense
of irony and foreboding in this context.
Because the play doesn't have a narrator, the tone is profoundly shaped by the
commentary of the Chorus. The Chorus expresses genuine sympathy for the
situations of the characters, yet at the same time is acutely aware of the
upcoming events.