Introduction to Theme of Blindness in Oedipus
The play Oedipus the King opens with the people supplicating before the palace of King Oedipus due to the plague, which was ruining the city, showing the theme of blindness in Oedipus. The story of the search which started with Oedipus to find out the culprit who killed the previous king Laius unraveled several mysteries for him in that he left this and started looking for his own parents which culminated in a circuitous way finding himself as the culprit. His journey for the search of the murdered took a full circle and he came to the place from where he started. In a way, this play is a search for the self that Oedipus finds in himself after having full circle but has been blind to this until he does not start this search. The play, in fact, shows that the blinders are seers while the seers are blind to the realities. Not only Oedipus is blind spiritually and physically, but Chorus is also blind to the realities of life staring in their faces, adding to further to the theme of blindness in Oedipus.
Blindness of Tiresias and Theme of Blindness in Oedipus
Although Tiresias is a blind old man, he is a seer of what is hidden from others. It means, metaphorically, all others are blind to his prophecies. When Oedipus calls for him to interpret the predictions of Oracle brought by Creon, his brother-in-law, he asks Tiresias to tell him the truth. However, when Tiresias does not say what he wants, he calls him a blind old man who cannot see the truth at which Tiresias states “You blame my temper, / but do not see the one which lives within you” (Sophocles 401-402). He is referring to his blindness in a way that he does not see that he has killed his father and married his mother. He also does not see that he is father of his own sisters and daughters. In this sense, Oedipus is blind. Tiresias tells him that he should not accuse him of blindness as he himself is a blind one.
Real Blindness of Oedipus
Secondly, Oedipus becomes blind at the end when he comes to know that he has committed all from which he was escaping. He not only killed his father but also married his own mother. He came to know when he called for the shepherd of Jocasta who gave him to the shepherd of Corinth. Then he ran to the palace to find that Jocasta has killed herself in desperation. He could not brook this anymore and gouged out his own eyes with the brooches. When Chorus taunts him for blinding himself, he states “Though I am blind, I know that voice so well” (1578).
Blindness of Chorus and Blindness of Oedipus
Chorus is also blind though not physically but symbolically. The chorus represents the elders or common people of that time. The commoners were mostly unaware of the state of affairs as the tragedy was mostly concerned with the life of the characters having stature, grandeur, and honor. However, here Chorus does not know anything about what is happening and in a sense is blind to what is before him. Chorus states “I want to ask you many things—there’s much / I wish to learn” (1308)– a hint that Chorus does not know anything about anything and is virtually blind to the realities to be faced by Oedipus. This could be a symbolic blindness in Oedipus.
Conclusion
Concluding the argument, it could be said that there are two types of blindness; one of the general eyesight and the other of the inner eye. Oedipus is blind in both ways when he accuses Tiresias of blindness, who is physically blind but inwardly he could see destiny. Similarly, as a representative of commoners, the Chorus is also blind to the events happening to Oedipus. Therefore, there are three blinds; Chorus, Oedipus, and Tiresias but Oedipus is blind in two days.
Works Cited
Sophocles. “Oedipus The King”. Trans. Ian Johnston. n. d. Web. 15 Sep. 2014. < https://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/sophocles/oedipustheking.htm>
Relevant Questions
- How does the physical blindness of Oedipus at the end of the play symbolize the Theme of Blindness in Oedipus the King?
- How do characters like Tiresias and Jocasta, who exhibit metaphorical blindness, contribute to the exploration of the Theme of Blindness in Oedipus the King?
- In what ways does the theme of familial blindness, where generations of characters fail to see their roles in their tragic destinies, emphasize the Theme of Blindness in Oedipus the King?
