Sight, insight and blindness by Dhiyaneshwaran JEGADESAN

2024-08-23 00:10:53 UTC

When Oedipus learns of the location of Laius's death from Jocasta, he begins to realise that what Tiresias said was true. "I have a terrible fear the blind seer can see". This not only demonstrates that Tiresias's physical blindness does not equal blindness in knowledge, but also that Oedipus was previously blinded by his own hubris, but then given the ability to see the truth.

Definition

jeg0003_4 — 2024-08-23 00:12:33 UTC

In Oedipus, the ideas of Sight, Insight and Blindness are all allegorical references to characters who can perceive the truth, are beginning to understand or are arrogantly ignorant. Those who possess physical sight (Oedipus) may not necessarily understand the whole truth, while those who are physically blind (Tiresias) understand a situation better than anyone else. Insight is the transition phase between these 2 states, the moment when you begin to understand the whole truth of the matter.

2024-08-23 00:17:38 UTC

Oedipus addresses Thebes in attempt to convince Laius's killer to step forward, claiming that, "I will speak out now as a stranger to the story, a stranger to the crime", the irony in this being that he is the killer, but looks to everybody else instead of himself, indicating blindness to the truth due to him looking for answers in the wrong place.

2024-08-23 00:25:21 UTC

Oedipus blinding himself, asking "what good were eyes to me?". He does this after having his eyes opened to the truth and becomes much like Tiresias, a man without the physical ability to see, yet seeing the truth through knowledge. The sight given to Oedipus by Tiresias and the messengers caused him to "suffer" and call himself "the worst of men", indicating that despite the truth setting Thebes free, Oedipus may have been better off remaining blind, as Tiresias told him.

Oedipus and Tiresias

jeg0003_4 — 2024-08-25 01:05:41 UTC

The interaction between Oedipus and Tiresias exemplifies the disparity between having sight and being blind to the truth.

Tiresias possesses a level of spiritual insight that allows him to see the Truth "clear as day" despite being physically blind. Here Sophocles suggests that Truth is not obtained by physical observation, but rather a reasoned and rational analysis of one's self and situation. This is accentuated by Tiresias' exclamation that Oedipus, "with [his] precious eyes, [is] blind to the corruption of [his] life", implicitly stating how one's physical sight, is insufficient to comprehend the Truths that are hidden in the depths of one's identity. Tiresias' link to the god of prophecy allows him insight into such Truths, but such a gift comes with the cost of unveiling secrets that are "only pain to him who sees".

Meanwhile, Oedipus, consumed by Hubris, can only physically see himself as the "saviour of Thebes", dismissing the prophet's words as "obscenities". Believing his ability to "bring [the truth] to light" he rushes headstrong into every scenario and, without thoroughly considering his situation, he blindly seeks out the next clue.

However, each clue only exacerbates his fear that "[he] is the murder, [he] seeks" and his desperation to know. paired with his hubris is ultimately the major proponent of his rapid demise.

Sophocles' use of dramatic irony allows audience members (who know about Oedipus' parentage) to observe how Oedipus' pride prevents him from developing the self-awareness needed to confront the truth about his identity sooner.