Jean Cocteau is a master of tension in his play La Machine Infernale, or The Infernal Machine. The play retells the story of Oedipus, who is presented as prideful, arrogant young man. In the prologue, a mysterious Voice tells the entire background and plot of the story ahead of time. One would think that this would diminish the tension, but actually it increases it, for after the Voice speaks its piece, it commands, "Watch now, spectator. Before you is a fully wound machine." The spring of this machine will slowly unwind over a human life, and it will annihilate a mortal. We are invited to watch as it does so, and even though we know what will happen, we cannot help but be interested in discovering how it will all play out.

Cocteau introduces elements of great mystery in the play. Laius's ghost appears, for instance, and tries to warn Jocasta and the prophet Tiresias of the coming horrors. Yet he cannot do so; he is held back by some force, apparently the gods, who want the doom of Oedipus to move forward.

Further, Cocteau presents the Sphinx in a way that raises tension and highlights mystery. As the play opens, two soldiers are discussing the Sphinx, trying to figure out what this creature is and what they will do about it. One young soldier says that he will challenge her, and he speculates about what she is like. The audience is invited to speculate with him. The Sphinx is actually disguised as a lovely girl, and she is a somewhat appealing character with her own internal tension. She does not want to kill any more people. This is why she actually tells Oedipus the answer to her riddle before she even asks it. She wants him to kill her that she may be free. Oedipus does so and heads off to claim his prize, namely, Jocasta.

At this point, the audience may well want to scream at Oedipus not to do it. We know what will happen, even though he does not, and this dramatic irony builds tension. No one can stop the events as they race to their consummation. All we can do is watch. Indeed, Oedipus and Jocasta do marry, but on their wedding night, tension builds again by Tiresias's apprehension and Oedipus's somewhat violent response. Further, Oedipus's temporary blindness foreshadows his permanent blindness at the end of the play, and this unexpected foreshadowing also maintains tension.

In the play's final act, events race toward their climax, and the Voice's summary is played out in full as the prophecies are fulfilled and as Jocasta and Oedipus meet their doom. The tension is only resolved as the ghost of Jocasta leads the blind Oedipus from the stage.