Oedipus Essay Paper
Introduction
Oedipus the king is a play whose author is Sophocles. The play can be classified as a tragedy written around 430 B.C in Athens, Greece. The tone of the play is tragic while the tense used is present. The key protagonist of the play is Oedipus and the Major conflict emerges when Tiresias, the blind soothsayer, tells Oedipus about his responsibility for the plague. Oedipus however, refuses to believe Tiresias. The climax of the play is the point when the truth is revealed that Oedipus was actually responsible for the plague, killed his father and slept with his mother. This paper will give a detailed discussion of the theme of sight versus blindness and the importance of Tiresias, the blind soothsayer.
Discussion
The Theme of Sight versus Blindness
Oedipus the King refers to the terms vision and eyesight in a both metaphorical and literal manner. The metaphorical meaning of having a clear vision is having knowledge and insight. This play has used the terms insight and eyesight to form a logical explanation in combination with metaphorical and literal blindness. Oedipus can be termed as a tragic hero in that he was famous for his great insight and understanding nature. However, he discovers later on that he had been blind to the truth for many years. This discovery anguished him a lot till he decides to poke out his own eyes and becomes literally blind in the process. The other consequence of the truth is that of Jocasta, Oedipus wife, hanging herself.
In lines 1311-1350, the speech of the Chorus turns the images of the ship’s captain and plowman into images of failure. The images of the plowman and ship’s captain were a symbol of Oedipus as a hero and his success and ability to manage the state. All these qualities are now transformed to portray the image of failure and his downfall. The chorus says “Oedipus, greatest of men, has fallen, and so all life is miserable and only death can bring peace” (line 1311-1350). The falling of Oedipus is due to the blindness that he had to the truth. Oedipus unknowingly murdered his father and slept with his mother. The act of blinding himself symbolizes the fact that Oedipus did not wish to take the responsibility of looking on his own children and siblings.
Later in the play, it is evident that though Oedipus is physically blind, he eventually acquires a limited prophetic vision. This prophetic vision is the inner vision or insight that guides an individual. Though Oedipus is unable to see physically, he is possessed by an inner sight that is revealing and extremely piercing. Oedipus poking out his own eyes implies that he has decided to leave the concerns of the physical world behind and face the psychological torment accompanying the truth about him murdering his own father and sleeping with his own mother.
This theme applies to human nature. Human beings have the capability to acquire and demonstrate remarkable intellectual power. Moreover, they have a vast amount of knowledge and insight. However, it is worth noting that even the smartest and most knowledgeable individual is liable to making mistakes. The same case applies to Oedipus who had a remarkable knowledge and insight but ended up making a great mistake that resulted to his downfall. It is therefore important to keep in mind that the ability of human beings to acquire knowledge is unreliable and quite limited. The evidence of this statement is in the last line of the chorus that says “all men are destined to be miserable”.
Importance of Tiresias, the blind soothsayer
Tiresias is the blind soothsayer who appears in two Oedipus plays, Oedipus the king and Antigone. Oedipus refers to Tiresias as an “all-powerful seer who has shielded Thebes from many plagues” (line 340). This means that Oedipus trusted Tiresias and regarded him highly. It is ironical that Oedipus claims to trust Tiresias deeply yet fails to believe him when he tells him that he is a murderer. The physical blindness of Tiresias, the soothsayer represents the metaphorical blindness of characters like Oedipus who refuse to believe the truth when they hear it spoken.
The entrance of Tiresias, the blind soothsayer into the play creates a turning point in the plot. Tiresias blindness creates dramatic irony in the play. It is ironical that Tiresias is blind but can see the further than any other character in the play, including Oedipus himself. Tiresias tells Oedipus that he was the one responsible for his father’s death but Oedipus does not believe him. He further tells Oedipus that he was the one responsible for the plague that hit Thebes. Therefore, Tiresias figures in the theme of sight versus blindness due to the fact that he is blind yet he has a clear inner vision and insight. This insight is what enables him to see farther than others.
Tiresias is physically blind but he can see the truth while Oedipus has his sight but can not see the truth. When Tiresias tells Oedipus that “he is a murderer” (lines 338-406), Oedipus criticizes his powers and goes further to insult his blindness. He does so without knowing that he is in fact the one who is blind to the truth. Hence, he confuses physical sight and insight. Oedipus lack of insight and knowledge is revealed by Tiresias, the blind soothsayer. Tiresias taunts Oedipus saying that “Oedipus does not even know who his parents are.” (Lines, 406-736). Hence, Oedipus who was once famous and viewed as a hero in Thebes turns out to be a murderer, as prophesized by Tiresias. He pokes out his eyes and becomes physically blind just like Tiresias, the blind soothsayer whose words he scorned.
Conclusion
The theme of sight versus blindness has been effectively depicted in the play Oedipus the King. It is evident that though Oedipus has a physical clear vision, he lacks the insight and knowledge for the truth. Tiresias on the other hand lacks the physical vision but sees farther than other characters including Oedipus. It is therefore possible for human beings to have great intellectual knowledge but lack the inner knowledge or insight. Human nature makes all humans liable to making mistakes.
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