11/9/12 Oedipus the King Essay
Sight and Blindness has many different meanings throughout the world. The concept of blindness can be seen as the literal inability to look at the world and it is also perceived as being blind to a situation or event that is obvious. The Sophocles Tragedy, Oedipus the King, portrays both of the viewpoints of sight and blindness. The characters in Sophocles’ work live a hectic, ever-changing, life with twists of fate.
Oedipus first shows the indirect side of blindness as to being oblivious. Oedipus shows this depiction of blindness through what he states when he talks to Jocasta about the possible misfortunate events in his life. Oedipus says, in an all-knowing tone, to Jocasta, “You have nothing to be afraid of. Even if my mother turns out to be a slave, and I a slave for three generations back, your noble birth will not be called in question.” Even though Oedipus truly believes that he knows everything, even more than the gods and the oracles, he really is in a state of total oblivion regarding whether or not Jocasta is his real mom. Oedipus’ oblivion leads to an abrupt realization that sends his world spiraling.
In the later part of the play, Oedipus shows the literal side of the topic of sight, or blindness. Oedipus’ descriptive, detailed, words, while stabbing his eyes, show the very horrifying way that literal blindness is connected with this book. The messenger says, restating Oedipus’ dialogue and actions, “He ripped out the golden pins with which her clothes were fastened , raised them high above his head, and speared the pupils of his eyes. “You will not see,” he said, “the horrors I have suffered and done. Be dark forever now-eyes that saw those you should never have seen, and failed to recognize those you longed to see.” Murmuring words like these he raised his hands and struck his eyes again, and again. And each time the wounded eyes sent a stream of blood down his chin, no oozing flow but a dark shower of it, thick as a hailstorm.” In this detailed description, Oedipus acts out in sheer pity and disgust for him and his wrong-doings. He believes that everything is no longer worth seeing and that seeing things would be just too painful. Oedipus requests Creon, the now king, to exile him to a place where no man can see him or speak to him. He tells Creon that he must be left to die on Mount Cithaeron, where he was once left to die, where he was supposed to die. The abrupt realization of his unholy life leads Oedipus to, ultimately, the foreshadowing of his death.
A connection has been made between sight and blindness and Oedipus the King through the character’s actions. Oedipus exemplifies this theory in examples of oblivion and literal blindness throughout a 24 hour span of his life that went so terribly wrong. Within such a short period of time Oedipus’ life went from the absolute highest and happiest point to absolute disgust and the need for self-destruction.
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