being considerably famous. One of Sophocles’ plays that is especially recognizable is the play Oedipus Rex, which is about the Theban king Oedipus and his downfall. Sophocles uses the motif of sight and blindness by highlighting Oedipus’ mental blindness in order to illustrate that ignorance causes misfortune not only to the oblivious person, but also to the people around them. The mental blindness of Oedipus from his lack of knowledge of his real parents and his anger causes the city of Thebes to suffer
being considerably famous. One of Sophocles’ plays that is especially recognizable is the play Oedipus Rex, which is about the Theban king Oedipus and his downfall. Sophocles uses the motif of sight and blindness by highlighting Oedipus’ mental blindness to illustrate that ignorance causes misfortune not only to the oblivious person, but also to the people around them. The mental blindness of Oedipus from his lack of knowledge of his real parents and his anger causes the city of Thebes to suffer
The theme of sight and blindness can be traced to the theme of knowledge and ignorance throughout the Oedipus Trilogy. Sophocles shows the ignorance of Oedipus and Creon in their blindness to the truth, while through Tiresias he shows an internal sight and wisdom. Sophocles uses the theme to convey the idea of the importance of an inner wisdom and acknowledgement of the ignorance of refusing to recognize truths. The theme of sight and blindness can be traced in Oedipus, as his frantic search for
This essay examines the way in which sight is used as a symbol in Oedipus Tyrannos. Among the recurring themes in the play, sight and blindness are made reference to, many times and this unveils one of the premise the author of the play is trying to pass across. It is however important to know that symbol, in a literary material, is a theme that is used to represent an abstract idea or concept. Sight is one of the metaphorical symbols used in the play and it represents the ability to perceive or
In the play, Oedipus Rex written by Sophocles, irony is a major literary devices used throughout. Although the audience already learned of Oedipus' ill fate, Oedipus continues on his journey to discover the truth as he is blind to the knowledge of his past. Through the use of irony, Sophocles exemplifies the major theme of blindness and ignorance in the face of the truth. In the beginning of the play, a blind old prophet named Tieresias come to have an audience with, Oedipus, the king who is in search
clearly expressed in the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex, Part of Sophocles work of Drama. The play tells the story of the city of Thebes and it’s king Oedipus. Seeing Thebes sickened by the plague, Oedipus vows to rid the city of the disease. Oedipus learns that in order to save the city he must avenge the murder of Thebes previous king, Laïos. On a quest to find the culprit, Oedipus discovers dark secrets about himself and his past. Using the development of a sight motif within the play, Sophocles suggests
In the text Oedipus the King, Sophocles puts so much trust into his senses like hear, touch, smell, taste and sight to represent the three types of irony, but mainly sight. Considering the major motif in Oedipus the King was vision, sight, and blindness. Sophocles’ use of irony is purposely interpreted to show Oedipus’s hamartia because throughout Oedipus the King there are many examples of verbal, dramatic and situational irony, which lead to the downfall of Oedipus. Sophocles uses dramatic irony
The story of Oedipus Rex portrays multiple themes throughout, but the most prominent theme would be sight and blindness. The theme of sight and blindness enhances the overall meaning and quality of the play and allows the audience and readers to think deeply about the symbols and what the significance of people in the play really are. The key component that helps this theme come together is the blind prophet Tiresias, who sees all past, present, and future; even though he can’t physically see anything
Blindness is defined as a failure to see the limits of a scene in the minor visible field. As in the play about Oedipus he was physically, emotionally and grievously blind. This analysis will take these types of blindness and dissect this great king. Let us take a look at Oedipus being physically blind, a blindness caused by Oedipus when he gouges out his eyes with his mother, Jocasta's broaches. After this act of blinding himself he then understands the injustices he had committed. He had been
that occur through flaws in morality. In Oedipus the King, blindness, death, and ignorance are key aspects in the tragedy. Literary devices such as motifs, impact the way readers assess the work and compare it to their ideas. Blindness is a motif that is consistently used all throughout the play. Oedipus is able to see but he is letting his stubbornness blind him from reality. Tiresias and many other characters in the play attempt to help Oedipus find the murderer of Laius, but he does