Oedipus

RESPONSE : Discuss the role of blindness in Oedipus . Who is actually the MOST blind

I agree that blindness plays a central theme and metaphor in the play Oedipus , and that the character who is most blind is Oedipus himself Oedipus ' blindness is metaphorical - he was unwilling to see the truth at the face of the glaring coincidences between the prophecies about him and Jocasta 's son as he commits himself to the pursuit of truth

Oedipus ' metaphorical blindness is heightened because he is a well-respected leader known for his clear thinking and

insight . He was the only one to solve the Sphinx 's riddle , proving that he has the capacity to see and understand more than most . Upon finding out that there was a prophecy that he would kill his father and bed his mother he left the parents he believed were his own , in an attempt to take control over his own fate . Oedipus saw in his mind what he needed to do and took it upon himself to act rather than to wait for the prophecy to come true . Of course , he had no way of knowing that the hands of fate was one step ahead of him , and he still ended up fulfilling the prophecy

For all the blindness that Oedipus exhibited , he also showed great insight : he was living happily at Corinth but left to spare his family and then he was celebrated at Thebes and yet continued asking questions seeking the truth even though he was having difficulty recognizing it

Finally realizing the truth and everything that it meant , Oedipus took away his own sight to repent for his blindness to the truth . For all his life , Oedipus tried to take control of his life and destiny , but was unable to do so . His act of taking out his eyes , then , became symbolic of finally accepting everything that has happened , and at the same time can be seen as an assertion of his own will . Oedipus was perhaps the most blind of them , but he was also most persistent in gaining his sight...