Essay on Theme of Blindness in Sophocles Oedipus the King

Theme of Blindness in Sophocles Oedipus the King Sophocles?s play, ?Oedipus the King? is one of the most well known of the Greek tragedies. The play?s interesting plot, along with the incredible way it is written are only two of the many reasons why two thousand years later, it is still being read and viewed. For those who are not familiar with the story of ?Oedipus the King?, it is written about the results of a curse put on King Oedipus which claims that he will murder his father and marry his mother. After reading or viewing this play, it is apparent that there are a few different themes, though the one which will be discussed in this essay is the theme of blindness. The theme of blindness is shown through the blind prophet,†¦show more content†¦He was given hints by numerous people, yet was still oblivious to the reality. Oedipus?s first hint was when a drunken man accused him of being a bastard child. Next was the prediction from Phoebus, who said that he was ?fated to lie with his mother ? and doomed to be the murde rer of his father.? His next clue was from Teiresias, who claimed that he was the murderer of the former king ? yet that was still not enough. Following Teiresias was the messenger, who told Oedipus that the parents who raised him were not his real parents. Finally, it all clicked when the herdsman came and confirmed that Oedipus was in fact the child of Laius, and that is when he realizes that the oracle?s predictions were correct. One would think that after a few hints that Oedipus would put the pieces together and realize the truth, however that is not the case. These clues that Oedipus overlooked all contributed to the proof that he was blind to the facts of his life. The final way that the theme of blindness is portrayed in this play is through Oedipus becoming blind at the end of the story. When Oedipus finally realized the truth about his past, he rushed inside of his house, and did a horrendous thing. It is described in the play, stating that ?He tore off the brooches ? and lifting them high dashed them on his own eyeballs ? he struck his eyes again and yet again with the brooches.? It is ironic that in theShow MoreRelatedThe Classical Tragedy Of Sophocles Oedipus The King950 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Greece’s Golden Age introduced many excellent playwrights, all of whom contributed to the success of Greek Literature† (sites.google/ Playwrights of the Golden Age). Sophocles, the author of the classic tragedy, Oedipus the King, was one of the three best play writers during that time frame. Born in 495 B.C., Sophocles â€Å"lived for nearly ninety years through the most of the turbulent events of his country during the fifteent h century B.C.† (Charters and Charters). 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Some may define insight as the ability to intuitively know what is going to happen, or simply as the capacity to understand the true nature of a situation. Both definitions hold a significant role in the play, not only for more obviousRead MoreThe Portrayal of Blindness in The Outsider and Oedipus the King1052 Words   |à ‚  5 PagesThe Portrayal of Blindness in The Outsider and Oedipus the King A primitive motif in Oedipus the King by Sophocles and The Outsider by Albert Camus is blindness. The protagonists in the novels are blinded to a personal truth, and are physically blinded as well. In The Outsider, Meursault’s blindness is metaphorical, as he is negligent to his own absurdity, which he later becomes categorized as. On the other hand, Oedipus’s blindness is literal, as he is ignorant to the truth of his life;