Tiresias is physically blind but can still foresee the dramatic events. As a minor character in the play, he represents the theme of “blindness”. He is responsible for the development of the theme in the play as he is literally blind and he reveals to Oedipus his mental and metaphorical blindness. Tiresias is also responsible for irony in the play as he has a lot of knowledge about Oedipus and his past. He is also responsible for foreshadowing the fate of Oedipus. Tiresias reveals to the reader what will actually happen to Oedipus because of him seeking the truth about his past and faith. He informs Oedipus that he is blind to the truth but Oedipus doesn’t want to believe him “Say what you will. Whatever you say is worthless” (Oedipus Rex Pg. 20). Oedipus says this because he disagrees and doubts what Tiresias says about the truth and he becomes mad at him. Oedipus’s destruction is also foreshadowed as he will blind himself because of the blindness that he has of his fate. “And since you have reproached me with my blindness, I say – you have your sight, and do not see what evils are about you, nor with whom, nor in what home you are dwelling.” (Oedipus Rex, pg 15). Tiresias explains to Oedipus that even though he can physically see, he is still blind about his past and fate which reveals to the readers that if someone can physically see then it doesn’t mean that he can see theoretically as displayed by Oedipus.
Even though Oedipus could literally see, he still was not able to realize the truth about his life. Oedipus learns the truth about his past and fate from a man that is physically blind which is very ironic. He can see everything around him but he yet decides to ignore everything that concerns his past even though he wants to see and know about it. Oedipus demands other people to tell him exactly what they know and they confront him with the shocking and dreadful truths about his past, his origins and the unintended and accidental crime that he committed and was blinded about until he found out from Tiresias that he is the actual criminal that he is looking for which is ironic. Creon also tells Oedipus about the truth but Oedipus thinks that he is lying and he is just trying to take his throne and make sure that he dies “Do you think that I do not know that you plotted to kill me, plotted to steal my throne” (Sophocles 28). Jocasta wants Oedpus to stop searching for the truth as she knows that the truth will cause him pain “For God’s love, let us have no more questioning! Is your life nothing o you? My own is pain enough for me to bear.” (Sophocles 56) Jocasta is already in pain and she knows the truth about Oedipus. She knows that if Oedipus finds out the truth then she will be in more pain. At some point, he starts to realize the truth about his past which is when he actually starts to see mentally. He reveals his past and understands that Tiresias and the oracle were correct the whole time about his fate. He suffers a lot from the actual truth and can’t stop the pain and misery that he has from finding out about his past and what it has brought upon him. When he actually finds out the truth about his prophecy, he regrets that everything has come to light and he decides to look into the dark and blind himself in order to lose his sight because he does not want to accept the truth. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really help his problem. The fact that he blinded himself was an act of cowardice as he didn’t want to see and face the truth about his life so he decided to be literally blind to it. Oedipus acts in this way in order to escape from the reality. He slept with his mother without knowing that it was her, killed his father unintentionally and stabbed his eyes out in order to blind himself as it was the only way for him to escape the truth about his fate. "So, you mock my blindness? Let me tell you this. You with your precious eyes, you're blind to the corruption of your life..." (Sophocles 19) This is another quotation that foreshadows the fact that Oedipus is in charge for all the mess and the curse that the city has. “Men of Thebes: look upon Oedipus. This is the king who solved the famous riddle and towered up, most powerful men. No mortal eyes but looked on him with envy, yet in the end ruin swept over him. Let every man in mankind’s frailty consider his last day; and let none presume on his good fortune until he finds life, at his death, a memory without pain.” (Sophocles 81) This quote from the end of the book is a speech given by Choragos. In his speech he is trying to say that even the most powerful men fall apart or have bad luck and that all humans will suffer and have pain in their lives as they are subjected to. He is trying to explain that everyone is blind to certain things and no one should think about good destiny and fate. Anyone, including the greatest people will suffer and experience pain in their life when they least expect it.
Sophicles focuses mainly on the theme of ‘blindness’ in his play Oedipus Rex. Irony is created throughout the whole play due to the two types of blindness that are used and contrasted, physical and figurative. Many people in the world nowadays are blind to their past because of certain events that have affected them. Some of these people don’t know the effect that these events have on them and think that if they actually quest and seek out the truths of their past and those certain events, it will lead them to a more fulfilled life. Oedipus was physically and mentally blind and he understood and felt how it is to suffer from pain. He couldn’t get away from his bad luck and misfortune which ended up being his fate. In conclusion, what someone sees is not always the truth. Oedipus became blind and learned how to understand and look at the world in different ways without seeing and observing the obvious.
Citation
Sophocles, Oedipus Rex. Florida: Cornelia Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald, 1977.
