Oedipus: Blindness

Blindness in Oedipus

Oedipus thought his life was great. Feeling powerful and almighty, Oedipus was wonderful at solving riddles, but did not like the answer to the riddle of who he really was. Although many told him to stop trying to figure out the answer, it was not in his nature to give up. Oedipus thought he could see everything, but he was actually blind of the truth about his life until the end.

In the beginning, Oedipus is told by Teiresias that he lives in shame. Of course, Oedipus feels that Teiresias is blind of not only sight, but knowledge:

The truth is strong, but not your truth.

You have no truth. You're blind.

Blind in your eyes. Blind in your ears. Blind in your mind.

(502-504)

Oedipus thinks he is above everyone, so what Teiresias told him could not have been true. He accuses Teiresias of not only being "blind" in the eyes, but "blind" in the mind, when the fact is that Oedipus is exactly what he is accusing Teiresias of being, except for the fact that he can see with his eyes. This situation is ironic because the blind prophet can see more clearly than the powerful Oedipus.

After Teiresias' wisdom is insulted by Oedipus, he confronts Oedipus of living his life in shame:

You insulted me. You mocked me. You called me blind.

Now hear me speak, Oedipus.

You have eyes to see with,

but you do not see yourself, you do not see

the horror shadowing every step of your life,

the blind shame in which you live and who lives with you,

lives always at your side.

(551-558)

Teiresias is trying to tell Oedipus that he is "blind" about himself. He thinks he "sees" who he really is, when actually he has no idea. Oedipus does not know the fate of his life. When asked if he knew who his parents were, Oedipus did not understand what Teiresias was trying to tell him. Oedipus thought Teiresias to be blind with "twisted words", when actually Oedipus was the blind one. Oedipus had eye sight but not insight, which is far more valuable to most people.

Oedipus has finally come to realize that he may not be who he thinks he is. Oedipus wants to reveal the truth of his life:

Let it break! Let everything break!

I must discover who I am, know the secret of my birth,

no matter how humble, how vile.

Perhaps Jocasta is ashamed of my low birth, ashamed to be my wife.

Like all women she's proud.

(1348-1352)

Although Oedipus says he wants to know who he really is, Oedipus is still being "blind" during the whole situation. Oedipus is now thinking of what he feels could be the worst of who he really is. Thinking he is from a lower family and that his wife may be ashamed, Oedipus still wants to hear the truth. If Oedipus could actually see clearly, he would know that the blind prophet and his wife were right about him and that he would harm everyone by revealing the truth. Oedipus is far from the truth.

Oedipus finally realized that Teiresias could actually see, and that he is the one who is actually blind. Oedipus could see with his eyes, but not with his mind:

LIGHT LIGHT LIGHT

never again flood these eyes with your white radiance, oh gods,

my eyes. All, all

the oracles have proven true. I, Oedipus, I

am the child

of parents who should never have been mine--doomed, doomed!

(1475-1480)

Oedipus finally realizes how "blind" he has actually been. He now can say that he can "see", even if it is not what he wanted to see and know. The "LIGHT" represents answers and truth of his life. Kilborne points out that by knowing the truth, Oedipus is seeing:

It would appear that the most obvious emotion associated with Oedipus's horror at his fate, his blindness, and the mortification of becoming aware (both of his

fate and of his blindness) is shame: shame over not having seen, at not having

been able to see, and at Oedipus's realization that blindness has brought about

the very outcome he wished to avoid; shame

...