 VCCS Litonline Introduction to LiteratureEnglish 112 (English Composition II) |
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Oedipus the Wreck
Blindness in Oedipus Rex
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Oedipus vs. Tiresias:
Bryan Metti (1997, U. of Michigan) focuses on the king and the seer: "In Sophocles' Oedipus the King, the theme of being blind is repeated over
and over again. In fact, anything having to do with sight or even the eyes is
repeated. Tiresias, the blind prophet, is the most obvious example of this
theme. And it is quite ironic that he informs Oedipus of his future and Oedipus
gouges his eyes out with his wife's, Jocasta, brooches at the end of the play.
There are more examples, some of which are quite subtle, throughout the much of
the play, even though some of them are extremely blunt. "At the beginning of the play, Oedipus is speaking to his people who are experiencing the plague that has overcome the city of Thebes. He says to his people, 'I would be blind to misery not to pity my people kneeling at my feet. (Line 14)' It is evident that Oedipus would be ignorant if he doesn't acknowledge the suffering which his people are experiencing. When Oedipus speaks to Tiresias, he says, 'Blind as you are, you can feel all the more what sickness haunts our city. (344)' Oedipus admits that Tiresias is blind but the prophet can help overcome the plague brought on by Apollo. Tiresias then responds to Oedipus. He says, 'How terrible - to see the truth when the truth is only pain to him who sees! (359)' This is a quite obvious hint to Oedipus about his future. As their discussion turns into a quarrel, Oedipus begins to insult the prophet. He says, 'You've lost your power, stone-blind, stone-deaf - senses, eyes blind as stone!(423)' Oedipus also says, '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. (425)' The irony is very obvious here since Oedipus is the one who is as blind as Tiresias in his own sense. "Tiresias is literally blind while Oedipus is 'blind'
towards his prophecies. Oedipus will eventually blind himself but he is being
ignorant towards his own future. In response to the insults, Tiresias becomes
more blunt about the information he knows. He says, 'You with your precious
eyes, you're blind to the corruption of your life, to the house you live in,
those who live with - who are your parents? (470)' With reference to Oedipus,
Tiresias says, 'Blind who now has eyes, beggar who now is rich, he will grope
his way toward a foreign soil, a stick tapping before him step by step. (517)'
Tiresias is talking about how Oedipus will eventually discover his past. He also
says, 'Go in and reflect on that, solve that. And if you find I've lied from
this day onward call the prophet blind' (524). From these two passages, Tiresias
practically gave a riddle. See also an inventory of passages about blindness. |
Seeing vs. Understanding: D-rock (1998) distinguished between perception and understanding for Oedipus: "Oedipus blinds himself to avoid having to deal with his fate. By eliminating his ability to see, he eliminates being able to see the destruction he has caused.
"One of the main underlying themes in Oedipus Rex is blindness. Not just physical blindness, but intellectual blindness as well. The blindness issue is an effective contrasting method for Oedipus at different points in the play. Simply saying "blindness", however, is a little ambiguous. It can be broken down into two components: Oedipus's ability to "see" (ignorance or lack thereof), and his willingness to "see". The word "see" can be used in both contexts here. Throughout the play, these two components are always at the center of the action. In the beginning of the play, Oedipus has perfect physical vision. However, he is blind and ignorant to the truth about himself and his past. He desperately wants to know, to see, but he cannot. At this point, it is obvious what Oedipus's action must be: to overcome the blindness. All of his actions thereafter are to that end. Ironically, into the play is introduced a prophet, a seer, Teiresias, who is physically blind, but who is clairvoyant. This just reaffirms Oedipus as a man ignorant to the true appearance of things - this blind man can "see" the truth about Oedipus, yet Oedipus, in all of his physical perfection, cannot. Toward the end of the play, it is shown how Oedipus learns the true nature of things - his past is revealed to him and he learns that the oracle was correct. Now Oedipus has gone full circle: he can see all to clearly what the truth is, but he desperately does not want to accept his fate. So, in response, Oedipus commits an act of would-be escapism: he blinds himself so that he may not see. Unfortunately, this does not help his problem. This writer thinks it was an act of cowardice because he didn't want to accept the situation the way he "saw" it, and decided instead not to see it at all.
Blindness in Oedipus the King vs. Shakespeare's King Lear: Bernadette in New Zealand (1999) pointed out the following parallel between these two tragic protagonists: "Oedipus only understands his faults when blinded (in contrast with Tiresias) Lear is the same. He has supported the wrong daughters, and it is not until he is blinded that he understands the wrongs he has committed. Tiresias is the perfect comparison, as he is blind and is the only character in the play with true knowledge; albeit divine knowledge."
An Act of Rebellion: Andy in Bucharest (1999) claimed that blinding himself is one thing that Oedipus did for himself beyond the fate decreed by the gods. [Of course, Tiresias foretold his blindness when he blurted out Oedipus's real identity as murderer of Laius, hinted at his true parentage, and told him how he would finish the day.]
Blind Laius and Lovers: Monique (2000) offered this list of blindness occurrences in the play:
- the obvious blindness of the "seer" Tiresias
- the blindness of Oedipus when he gouges out his eyes with Jocasta's broaches
- but a deeper "blindness" could possibly be the way King Lauis tries to deceive fate and "blindly" goes to extreme measures to make sure the prophecy is not fulfilled
- the blindness of love between Oedipus and Jocasta when they know what has happened and that the prophecy has been fulfilled.
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