Nicholas Coleman Prof. Shemak English 265 2 October 2009 The Blind Oedipus Ignorance is bliss. Ignorance keeps us blind‚ yet it frees us from the painful stare of truth. A false paradise is created under the veil of knowledge that is simply not present. The theme of vision and blindness is significant in Oedipus Rex because throughout the play‚ the truth was always beyond the characters grasp‚ and without truth the actions carried out by the characters were done in blindness. Their views
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absorbed in his own hubris‚ he will lose track of values that are much more important to him‚ including his own prophesized fate. In Oedipus Rex‚ Oedipus’s “blindness” towards the decisions he made and his past added to his inevitable downfall. One of the many aspects that Oedipus failed to perceive were the clues of his own past that he refused to analyze. Oedipus learned that Lauis was traveling with four men and was killed by one‚ yet he never connected the fact that he knew he killed a man of
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found and several times reproduced in different cultures with different structures. This is a never ending fight between reason and feelings. In order to clarify my point of view I will use some examples from the play Oedipus The King: A) The intelligence and wisdom of Oedipus I think‚ is the representation of our desire to control things according to our own schemes‚ we have to be in control of everything that we are capable of‚ we neglect our subconscious that in this case is the prophecy and
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Sophocles‚ Oedipus has volunteered to find out who killed the previous king‚ King Laius. If he succeeds in finding the “stranger” who committed the crime Oedipus will be able to lift the curse of the plague off the people of ancient Thebes. However‚ in a turn of events Oedipus not only finds out he is the “stranger” who murdered King Laius but also the tragedy surrounding his birth. This discovery leads to an ethical dilemma of “Is the truth always worth finding?”. Since in the beginning Oedipus has cursed
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In the play Oedipus by Sophocles‚ King Oedipus is nothing but a self diluted ruler who thinks too highly of himself. He calls the most respected and revered prophet in the land a liar and scam artist to his face "Say what you will. Whatever you say is worthless Wealth‚ power‚ craft of statesmanship! Kingly position‚ everywhere admired!" just because Oedipus does not like what he has told him. The fact that he can not‚ and will not believe that he might have killed his father is strange‚ taking
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The character of Oedipus Many people in today’s world and in our past lives can and have been blinded to some kind of truth. The truth could have been right in front of your eyes or blatantly right there to begin with for you to know the truth but somehow you miss out and never figure it out. Being blind to the truth can sometimes be a benefit and can also be a bad thing in many cases. Just like many blind people are weak in one area but stronger with their other senses. In the play Sophocles’ King
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with seeing forbidden sexual acts‚ or revealing secret sexual truths”. Tiresias is summoned to the palace Oedipus can find the murderer so he can end the plague that threatens to overtake Thebes. The accusation Tiresias provides for the royal couple is disregarded because at the time nor Oedipus and Jocasta believed that the prophecy was true‚ due to that they were ignorant of the truth. Oedipus starts degrading Tiresias and his blindness. Tiresias replies by saying “your eyes can’t see the evil to
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Oedipus has a "tragic flaw" that leads to his demise‚ and efforts to attribute one to him to him seem forced . In his quest to uncover the truth and rid Thebes of the plague‚ he exhibits all the heroic qualities that made him the savior of Thebes during the Sphinx’s reign of terror. Oedipus as a victim of a fate he could not control. He had enormous control over the events of his "destiny" through the numerous decisions he makes. He chooses to believe the oracle and leave Corinth. (The play is in
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Oedipus‚ in Sophocles’ play Oedipus Rex‚ is by definition‚ a tragic hero. King Laios of Thebes was given a prophecy from the oracle that he would be murdered by his son’s hand‚ and that his son would marry his wife‚ Queen Iocaste. When Oedipus was born‚ King Laios had him taken to Mt. Cithaeron to die‚ however‚ the servant who was instructed to take him to the mountain felt pity for the baby and turned him over to a shepherd from Corinth. Once in Corinth‚ he was raised by King Polybus and Queen
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tragedy Oedipus Rex by Sophocles‚ through an attempt to help his people‚ a king learns the dark secrets of his past. Citizens of Thebes ask for help from King Oedipus because he has previously dealt with a sphinx that was devouring his people. In order to deal with the plague‚ Oedipus sends Creon to the Oracle of Delphi to receive help from Apollo. When Creon arrives from Delphi‚ he reports that the oracle said to find and punish the former king’s murderer. Creon suggests that Oedipus consult
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