Knowledge is characterized as a burst of light which contrasts the darkness of ignorance. This passage reveals that Thebes is currently suffering from a fatal plague, and Oedipus trying to be a good King, sent Kreon to visit the oracle. According to Nassaar At the crucial point, he failed to properly understand Apollos prophecy and to react rationally to it (Nassaar 2). Oedipus wanted to live the rest of his life not seeing the pain and the true person he really is. As the play unfolds, we see Oedipus virtues and weaknesses lead him to his own demise. Oedipus and Creon share similarities and differences that Tiresias proclaims to Oedipus, You are the curse, the corruption of the land (Sophocles 179). . Can the sighted be blind? And beyond, when the truth is too terrible, do we choose not to see? This metaphor serves as a perfect example of what Oedipus goes through. There are many people out there who tries to fit in and be a person they know they are not. Though blind, the aging Oedipus finally acquires a limited prophetic vision. Oedipus is outrage by the statement Tiresias told him. Oedipus attempts to gain advice from Jocasta, the queen; she encourages him to ignore prophecies, explaining that a prophet once told her that Laius, her husband, would die at the hands of their son. Again, Jocasta advises him not to worry about prophecies. download word file, 1 pages4.5 I am content (38). Confident that the worst he can hear is a tale of his lowly birth, Oedipus eagerly awaits the shepherd. However, the fact that Odysseus king and that he made the rules. There are many metaphors that are used as symbols in Oedipus the King, which includes sight and blindness, self-affliction, and the three way crossroad. (one code per order). Oedipus is famed for his clear-sightedness and quick comprehension, but he discovers that he has been blind to the truth for many years, and then he blinds himself so as not to have to look on his own children/siblings. google_ad_slot = "9215930124"; Too long you looked Sophocles was the younger contemporary of Aeschylus and the older contemporary of Euripides. Unfortunately, the audience can see Oedipus fate being sealed before he can see it himself. Though before the reader learns about this they must understand the purpose of why Sophocles used blindness, the author is trying to teach his audience to see clearly more around them, rather than being ignorant around the world that is around them. Oedipus is seen as a god throughout Thebes because he defeated the mighty Sphinx, who was once haunting over the city. Now smiled upon by all, saluted now, now drawn aside by suitors to the King, my ear their door to hope. ); Electra(c. 425510 B. There is a proverb that states, "The eyes are useless when the mind is blind.". So this is what he wants, Creon the loyal, Creon so long my friend! In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles it is easy to see how blindness affects the transition of the story. This human vs human conflict between Oedipus and the seer serve as a major conflict throughout the story and serves as almost a tipping point in the plot. Ace your assignments with our guide to The Oedipus Plays! No I serve Apollo.