On the other hand, king Oedipus is sighted however, he cannot see the truth as the play starts even though he makes himself physically blind as the play ends. Teiresias is physically blind and happens to be a prophet he stands for truth. As aforementioned, the play by Sophocles explores blindness from two angles, physical blindness and inability to see the truth for the sighted. The theme of blindness in Oedipus Rex is one of the main tragedy’s underlying themes. Thus, there are two types of blindness, figurative and literal.
This paper aims at researching blindness in Oedipus Rex and Hamlet as there are both physical blindness and inability to see and accept the truth amongst the sighted. Ironically, sighted people are in most cases “blind” to the future or the realities and truths of the present. In most cases, physically blind can see future events. Interestingly, those with physical blindness, in many cases have a special gift of seeing invisible things that those sighted cannot see. People may be physically blind wherein they cannot see their surroundings on the other hand, people may have physical sight but be ‘blind’ towards truth or reality. In Sophocles’ Oedipus (the initial name of the play is Oedipus Tyrannus) and Shakespeare’s Hamlet, blindness is deeply explored. This unanswerable question will most likely bug us humans till the end of our days.Ĭan't get enough Teiresias? Then check out Sophocles' Antigone.In literature, writers use different literary elements to expound their work. Is our fate decided from birth or do we have a choice? Is Oedipus responsible for his actions? Yes, Oedipus causes his own downfall, but if he was doomed by the gods from the beginning, is it really his fault? This debate didn't stop with the Greeks-it manifested itself once again in Christian thought, but was defined in terms of predestination vs. Teiresias' ironic attitude toward revealing prophecy makes him symbolic of the whole conundrum of the play. Really? So: what is the point of prophets? Well, it will come what will, though I be mute. Instead he tells Oedipus that there's no point in revealing the truth, because everything that's going to happen is just going to happen anyway: King Oedipus has in front of him a man with the knowledge needed to save Thebes, but Teiresias won't reveal the necessary information. Oedipus has good reason to be angry at him. Probably the most interesting thing about this interchange is Teiresias' attitude towards the art of prophecy. If we didn't see his anger here and later with Creon, we might not believe that Oedipus is capable of the multiple murders at the crossroads.
He allows the Chorus to speak their mind and is doing his best to save his people. Up until now the king has behaved rationally. It's clever of Sophocles to use this scene to show Oedipus' temper. In this scene, Oedipus gets angry at Teiresias because the prophet won't reveal the identity of Laius' murderer. Indeed it's the first real scene where we see any conflict, and as such, is necessary for keeping the audience interested in the play.
The blind seer only shows up for one scene in Oedipus the King, but it really packs a punch. Oedipus even goes so far as to accuse Teiresias of treason. Both Jocasta and Oedipus are skeptical of his prophecies. Not to mention, it must be annoying that whenever Teiresias does drop a little knowledge, people don't believe him. You might think these are pretty awesome skills, but it's probably difficult when everybody around you is doomed to shame, death, or mutilation. Teiresias is also gifted in the magic art of augury, or telling the future from the behavior of birds. He's in tune with the mind of Apollo and receives visions of the future. Even though he's blind, he can see better than any of those around him. Teiresias is kind of a cranky old fellow. (Click the character infographic to download.) The Blind Leading The Blind
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