Examples Of Blindness In Oedipus The King

People equate ‘seeing’ to gaining knowledge. Expressions such as “I see” and “seeing truth” are used to express understanding of something, but is seeing really the same as knowing? In Oedipus the King, Oedipus’s inability to grasp the truth is despite the fact that he is physically able to see contrasts Teiresias’s knowledge of the truth even though he is blind. The irony of the blind man being knowledgeable, and the seer becoming blind to the truth suggests that the idea that knowledge is not related to physical sight. In the beginning of the play, Oedipus is able to see but does not know the truth about who killed Laius. At the conclusion of the play, Oedipus is

In Sophocles' play, "Oedipus The King," the continuous references to eyes and sight possess a much deeper meaning than the literal message. These allusions are united with several basic underlying themes. The story contains common Ancient Greek philosophies, including those of Plato and Parmenides, which are often discussed and explained during such references. A third notion is the punishment of those who violate the law of the Gods. The repeated mentioning of sight and eyes signify the numerous ancient Greek beliefs present in the story.

Another aspect of the theme that was observed through references of blindness and sight is guilt and disgrace. From the beginning of the play, Sophocles establishes the theme of guilt which can be seen throughout the play, as Oedipus tries to find the person who was guilty for the murder of King Laius. His search to find the guilty individual leads him to the truth which is that he murdered King Laius, who was his father, and that he married his mother Jocaste. After finding this out, he enters an epiphany of guilt and shame as he recognizes this morbid fact. He says after blinding himself “If I had eyes, I do not know how I could bear the sight of my father, when I came to the house of Death,

The theme of sight and blindness is undoubtedly important to notice while reading Oedipus the King. The number of times the words “see” or “blind” are in the play make it make it undeniably obvious that they are significant. The theme is developed throughout the dialogue, through characters such as Tiresias and Oedipus, and also directly in the irony of the play. It is important in a play about the truth because almost every character was “blind” to the truth. All of the characters, except one, can physically see, but mentally cannot see the truth.

Oedipus thought his life was great. Feeling powerful and almighty, Oedipus was wonderful at solving riddles, but did not like the answer to the riddle of who he really was. Although many told him to stop trying to figure out the answer, it was not in his nature to give up. Oedipus thought he could see everything, but he was actually blind of the truth about his life until the end.

In many countries around the world, ignorance carries a considerable weight in politics, households, between friends, and in other vicinities. This ignorance can be depicted as blindness of the mind. In the Greek philosopher Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King, Oedipus’ family and friends share their blindness in the fact that they love Oedipus and don’t have a desire to know the truth of his ruined past. They keep things from Oedipus and end up withholding the actualities of life from themselves in the process. Sophocles urges the reader that the love people clutch to can cause people to lose sight of the truth. He then expands on the blindness, demonstrating the idea that when the truth comes out, it pulls the love a person feels for another into darkness with it. Love is fragile, and can be easily destroyed by the opening of the eye, causing families to crumble underneath.

Blindness was used both literally and figuratively in Oedipus the King to symbolize Oedipus's denial, guilt and the lack of perception Oedipus's faults which lead to Oedipus's ultimate fall, which connects to.

One of the many symbols Sophocles portrays throughout the play is sight and blindness. Sight represents how Oedipus had eyesight, but was still “blind” to the truth of himself throughout most of the play. He was both hesitant and unaware of the events that built up to

Blindness plays a two-fold part in Sophocles’ tragedy “Oedipus the King.'; First, Sophocles presents blindness as a physical disability affecting the auger Teiresias, and later Oedipus; but later, blindness comes to mean an inability to see the evil in one’s actions and the consequences that ensue. The irony in this lies in the fact that Oedipus, while gifted with sight, is blind to himself, in contrast to Teiresias, blind physically, but able to see the evil to which Oedipus has fallen prey to. Tragically, as Oedipus gains the internal gift of sight, he discards his outward gift of sight. Sight, therefore, seems to be like good and evil, a person may only choose one.

If it was said that a blind man had perfect vision or that a man with eyesight was totally blind, that might be considered an oxymoron. Obviously, the blind man can’t see and the other can. But, is that really true? The play Oedipus the King incontrovertibly portrays how easily a person can enjoy eyesight whilst being oblivious to the truth. Tiresias and Oedipus, characters from the play, demonstrate a blind man seeing things clearly and a seeing man possessing obscured vision, even though he has perfect eyesight. The symbolism of vision, or the lack thereof, portrayed in this tragedy does not mean one has been endowed with wisdom, knowledge, or understanding.

In Oedipus Rex, Tiresias was a blind seer. When Oedipus called upon Tiresias for wanting to know who killed king Laius and cursing the land, Tiresias knew who caused it and how to stop it. Unfortunately, when Tiresias told Oedipus it was him who had killed the king, Oedipus did not believe him. Oedipus was ignorant and foolish towards Tiresias blaming him for killing King Laius and in Oedipus’s blind anger, he said “And if you were not blind, I should aver the act was your work only!” (Sophocles 13). This was not true, and Tiresias knew this, and he tried to make Oedipus understand by showing him the truth even though Tiresias was literally blind.

Sight and blindness play a big role in Oedipus Rex. King Oedipus is blind to the truth about his life. Even Tiresias, the blind prophet, is able to see Oedipus’s past. “You blame my temper but you do not see your own that lives within you; it is me you chide”(377-379). When Oedipus ridicules

In both texts Oedipus the King and The Allegory of the Cave, the authors illustrates how the characters lack knowledge and sight of what happening around them, for example in Oedipus the King, Oedipus enjoins Teiresias to reveal the murderer of Laius, but Tiresias believes that the truth is best to be unknown. which leads to both of them arguing harshly, and Oedipus insulting the prophet due to his blindness, these actions led by oedipus shows how his ignorance and temper took over making him blind to the truth, as they claim “Wouldst thou betray us and destroy the State?/what will, though I am mute./ (341-708) at first, then angry, Oedipus insists that Teiresias tell Thebes what he knows. Provoked by the anger and insults of Oedipus, Tiresias begins to hint at his knowledge. Finally, when Oedipus furiously accuses Tiresias of the murder, Tiresias tells Oedipus that Oedipus himself is the curse. And claims that Oedipus doesn't know who his parents are. Tiresias is blind but can see the truth; Oedipus has his sight but cannot. This all shows how Oedipus lacks knowledge and is ignorant because when told he doesn't even know who his parents are, he starts to think that he might be the killer. Similarly in

Oedipus's ignorance, pride, and fiery nature are first shown through his interactions with other characters who have a more complex world perception. It gives a perspective on the theme of the story of who is blind and who sees, by contrasting a physically blind prophet Tiresias, with the seeing Oedipus. Tiresias who is shown to be wise, “How terrible - to see the truth when the truth is only plain to him who sees!” confronted Oedipus about him being the man who killed Laius, and Oedipus who was previously shown as a caring leader, “You haven’t wakened me - I have wept through the nights, you must know that, groping, laboring over many paths of thought” (Sophocles, ) is revealed to be a different person when his position as the king is threatened. He resolves to cruel japes on the prophet and his blindness, “Blind lost in the night, endless night that nursed you! You can’t hurt me or anyone else who sees the light - you can never touch me”. Blinded by his pride and want to keep the throne that he considers his own, Oedipus resolves to blaming his trusted friend Creon of treason, “you plotting to kill me, kill the king -I see it

Tiresias is a blind prophet who Oedipus calls upon to clarify information from Apollo’s oracle. Tiresias is physically blind but has the ability to see metaphorically and make predictions. He is hesitant to reveal to all of his knowledge of Oedipus’ identity. “You, even though you see clearly, do not see the scope of evil, nor where you live, nor with whom you dwell. Do you know your true descent? And secretly you are an enemy to your own kin, both under the earth and on it” (433-438). Tiresias knows Oedipus’ descent and Oedipus needs some self-insight to understand the deeds he has committed and the truth of his birth. Oedipus’ ignorance causes him to be angry and poke fun at Tiresias’s blindness. Tiresias’s blindness allows him to ponder and self-reflect, which Oedipus fails to do which causes his downfall. Tiresias