In the story of Oedipus Rex, blindness refers to people being blind to the truth. The answer they were seeking when it came to their problems may have been obvious, but they could not see the answer. Due to them being blind to they answer they were seeking. Blindness also can be associate with being physically blind and being enlightened.
Essay Preview From the very beginning of Oedipus, one can see that the main character of Oedipus is very sure about who he is and where he has come from. One of the most important motifs of the story is the idea of metaphorical blindness, and how Oedipus claims that everyone else around him is blind, and he is the only one that can see.The 3rd instance of Oedipus’ blindness is a literal one, in which he physically blinds himself after finding the body of his mother, or wife. Sophocles uses his skill of creating an awful character by revealing Oedipus as blind on numerous levels, all the while being uninformed of his blindness till the end.Oedipus was blind in more then one way. He was blind to the truth about his own life. Oedipus had no idea that his real parents were Laius and Jocasta. He was so blind that he got mad at anyone who was foolish enough to suggest such an idea.
Oedipus acknowledges that his hubris has left him blind to the truth and is too ashamed of himself to witness the citizens' reactions. Overall, Oedipus chooses stab out his eyes as a way of.
Despite being told not to try to manipulate his own fate, Oedipus finally discovers the sins he has committed and reacts by self-mutilation. His aggressive attitude towards life and conquering his own fate causes him to willfully punish himself--to become blind.
Oedipus announces to the chorus that although he can’t see, he continues to live with the suffering of his fate and the murders that surround it. The self-blindness also has an explanation, that is when Oedipus begs the question “for why was I to see, when nothing I could see bring me joy?” (Sophocles 1313).
Oedipus the King highlights the binary opposition of blindness versus sight. Oedipus a man who can physically see, is blind to the destruction he has created in his life. Tiresias, who is physically blind can see the truth of Oedipus life. Antigone and Oedipus the King both contain the binary oppositions of ignorance versus wisdom.
Tiresias is physically blind but whereas Oedipus is blind intellectually. This intellectual blindness of Oedipus also contributes greatly to lead him to his tragic destination. Oedipus possesses faultless physical vision throughout play except in the end but he remains blind to the reality regarding himself.
Throughout the play, Oedipus was blind to what he had done, blind to the truth of his identity, and even blinded of sight due to gouging out his own eyes. Oedipus was a character of great respect and honor in the town of Thebes. This man was blind to his past by having no idea what he had done, or what had happened to the previous king of Thebes.
Oedipus is confident about solving the murder of king Laius. His character’s self-belief is exemplified through this quote; “by the mouth of messengers, I have myself came hither, Oedipus, known far and wide by name (Sophocles 1)”.
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Paper type: Essay, Subject: Oedipus The King This sample essay on Teiresias Tells Oedipus That The Latter Is The offers an extensive list of facts and arguments related to it. The essay’s introduction, body paragraphs, and the conclusion are provided below.
It is ironic that Teiresias, the blind prophet, accuses Oedipus of not being able to see. In this context, Teiresias’s vision and Oedipus’s blindness are metaphorical and concern the domain of truth. This conception of vision as the capacity to confront truth is one of the play’s central themes.
Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex deals with the tragedy of Oedipus and one understands that his tragedy was predetermined by fate. In Oedipus Rex, one finds the journey of Oedipus’s self from pride, hubris, anger, annoyance, self-disbelief and self-ignorance to self-discovery, self-realization and self-knowledge.
Hence, the blind prophet had had the vision to see this chapter of Oedipus’ fate with clarity: indeed, Oedipus had killed his own father. Oedipus’ continues on his journey and because he is able to solve the riddle of the Sphinx, he ends up becoming the King of Thebes, while still being oblivious to the drama that has played out with Laius in his narrative.
Oedipus' self-assurance that he has taken care of his fate blinds him to it and begins the fall that will end in his literal blindness. Thus he becomes the victim — rather than the conquerer — of Fate. In Antigone, Creon also displays a blind spot. Wrapped up in the trappings of power, Creon puts his responsibility for Thebes above the laws.
In insulting Teiresias, Oedipus insults the gods by extension, for it is they who have given blind Teiresias the ability to interpret the past and predict the future like no other man.