Blindness In Oedipus The King

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Blindness in Oedipus the King People can be blinded to the truth. The answer to their question or solution to their problem may have been obvious. Yet, they could not see the answer. There have been associations made between being blind and enlightened. The blind may not have physical sight, but they have another kind of vision. They are said to have powers to see invisible things. They see into the future. In Sophocles' King Oedipus, Tiresias, the blind prophet, presents the truth to King Oedipus and Jocasta. Oedipus has been blinded to the truth his entire life. When he does find the truth, he loses his physical vision. Because of the truth, Oedipus blinds himself. Jocasta was blind to the true identity of Oedipus. Even when she found out the truth, she refused to accept it. In this case, those who are blind do have a higher vision - the truth. Oedipus was blind in more than one way. He was blind to the truth about his very own life. Oedipus had no idea that his real parents were Laius and Jocasta. He was so blind that he got mad at anyone who was foolish enough to suggest such an idea. As soon as Oedipus knew and actually accepted the truth, he blinded himself. Just as Tiresias was blind and open to the truth, so was Oedipus. Oedipus was also physically blind. His physical blindness played into the role of the Greek tragedy. The blindness completed the tragedy for Oedipus. For Oedipus, this tragedy was discovering the truth and becoming blind. He had the never ending blackness and the physical pain he had caused on himself as reminder and as punishment. Oedipus' physical blindness was just as painful as his blindness to the truth. Both were intertwined in each other. Jocasta's blindness was different then Oedipus'. She knew about the prophecy, but she thought Oedipus was dead. She had no idea that she had married her son. As pieces of information came to
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