Theme Of Sight And Blindness In Oedipus - 797 Words

Sophocles certainly wasnt shy about the motif of sight vs. blindness. If youve got way too much time on your hands, go through the play and highlight words like see, sight, vision, eyes, and blind. Since this motif is symbolic of the pursuit of knowledge, you can go ahead add that word, along with terms like oracle, truth, prophecy, and Apollo, since hes the god that represents all these ideas. The Oracle of Shmoop predicts that your highlighter will run out of ink, and your script will end up looking like a neon patchwork quilt.Though this motif of seeing and not seeing is laced throughout the beginning of the play, it first becomes crystal clear when the prophet Teiresias hobbles on stage. If one of Sophocless†¦show more content†¦They highlight the fact that he has been marked for suffering from the moment of his birth. This expounds upon Sophocless idea that humans have no power in face of the gods. For some mysterious reason, Oedipus has always been damned, and theres n ot much he can do about it. The scars also highlight the irony of Oedipuss ignorance. Although his name blatantly points attention to his scarred feet (which are the keys to discovering his identity), Oedipus doesn’t realize his true identity until it’s too late. This ones on Jocasta as well. Youd think she might she might have clued in to Oedipuss name long ago and asked him how he got it. The Crossroads Oedipus killed his father, Laius, at a place where three roads meet. A fateful decision made at a crossroads, huh? We detect symbolism. Oedipus couldve run into his father anywhere along the Theban Way, but instead Sophocles specifically places the confrontation at a three-way intersection.Crossroads are a traditional symbol of choice in literature. Makes sense, right? You come to an intersection and you have to decide which way to go. Its probably pretty easy to see how such a place could represent all the moments of choice in our life. In a way, every second in ones life is a tiny little crossroad. Every small choice we make affects our future in someway.Of course, Oedipuss fate has been predetermined from birth. For their own mysterious reasons the gods have decided that its necessary for Oedipus to haveShow MoreRelatedOedipus Rex: Imagery of Blindness and Sight as a Medium to the Themes1218 Words   |  5 PagesIn the play, Oedipus Rex, written by Sophocles, an honourable and ad mirable Greek king named Oedipus rules the town of Thebes. He is left in mental turmoil and decay as his unknown, corrupt and immoral past is slowly revealed during his quest to find the culprit who murdered King Laius. The newly exposed past suddenly transforms his glory and respect into shame and humiliation. After he learns about his wicked past he stabs his eyes, which lead to his blindness. 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