Blindness In Oedipus The King Essay -- essays research papers

Blindness plays a two-fold part in Sophocles&8217 tragedy &8220Oedipus the King. First, Sophocles presents blindness as a bodily disability affecting the auger Teiresias, and afterwards Oedipus but later, blindness comes to mean an inability to see the evil in one&8217s actions and the consequences that ensue. The irony in this lies in the fact that Oedipus, while capable with sight, is blind to himself, in contrast to Teiresias, blind physically, but able to see the evil to which Oedipus has fallen prey to. Tragically, as Oedipus gains the internal gift of sight, he discards his outwards gift of sight. Sight, therefore, seems to be like good and evil, a soul may only choose one.Teiresias, prophet of Phoebus, was enamored with blindness to the physical world, but, as a result, gained the gift of sight into the spiritual world. This great gift allowed him to become a superior prophet, praised by the people as &8220god like and as a person &8220in whom the truth lives. Therefore , it was no surprise that Oedipus asked the old prophet to come before the people to enlighten them as to who or what the cause of the plague decimating their pastoral was. What Oedipus was not expecting, however, was that the sin he could not see himself was to blame for the judgement being poured out upon the country. The sin so hidden from Oedipus&8217 and the peoples&8217 eyes was quite gross to Teiresias. What Teiresias ... Blindness In Oedipus The King Essay -- essays research papers Blindness plays a two-fold part in Sophocles&8217 tragedy &8220Oedipus the King. First, Sophocles presents blindness as a physical disability affecting the auger Teiresias, and later Oedipus but later, blindness comes to mean an inability to see the evil in one&8217s actions and the consequences that ensue. The irony in this lies in the fact that Oedipus, while gifted with sight, is blind to himself, in contrast to Teiresias, blind physically, but able to see the evil to which Oe dipus has fallen prey to. Tragically, as Oedipus gains the internal gift of sight, he discards his outward gift of sight. Sight, therefore, seems to be like good and evil, a person may only choose one.Teiresias, prophet of Phoebus, was stricken with blindness to the physical world, but, as a result, gained the gift of sight into the spiritual world. This great gift allowed him to become a superior prophet, praised by the people as &8220god like and as a person &8220in whom the truth lives. Therefore, it was no surprise that Oedipus asked the old prophet to come before the people to enlighten them as to who or what the cause of the plague decimating their country was. What Oedipus was not expecting, however, was that the sin he could not see himself was to blame for the judgement being poured out upon the country. The sin so hidden from Oedipus&8217 and the peoples&8217 eyes was quite visible to Teiresias. What Teiresias ...