How Is Oedipus Weak

1170 Words5 Pages
Anika Kumar Ms. Orr English II H Bk. 7 9/29/2014 The Blind Man Sees the Clearest When Salvadoran native, Lucia Cerna, saw Spanish soldiers shooting several Jesuit priests, her life was blown out of proportion. As one of the few witnesses to the shootings, she was one of the only people who could confirm who the murderers really were. However, the governments of both El Salvador and the United States did not want this truth to get out. They lied and tried to cover up by blaming the shootings on the guerilla soldiers, and as a result, the citizens of those countries followed along and were reluctant to accept the reality, that the soldiers were the actual culprits. In this way, they were blinding themselves from the truth because they were…show more content…
However, as the play reveals, Oedipus, “Solver of riddles,/ Slayer of monsters,” (20), is the blindest one of all. One of his tragic flaws is his unyielding knowledge and insight, for his amazing abilities are what lead him to his tragic fate at the end of the day. One reason for Oedipus’s blindness is his superiority complex. He already thinks so highly of himself, and the unwavering support of everyone in his kingdom only reinforces this. He thinks that everyone that opposes him is beneath him. This is seen through his interaction with Tiresias, the blind prophet. Tiresias tries to open Oedipus’s eyes to the reality, but Oedipus is too conceited to see it. He instead ridicules Tiresias and says, “You, who lack power to make flesh and blood of threats,/ You who live in the dark…” (32). He uses Tiresias’s disability as a way to defend himself. In doing so, he perpetuates his metaphorical blindness. Another reason for Oedipus’s figurative blindness is his fear. Aside from being too cocky, Oedipus is also afraid to learn the truth because that would mean that everything he had been believing was a lie. He is so afraid that he even reverts to derogatorily insulting Tiresias. He calls him, “Blind, senseless, brainless…” (32). However, the instance cannot be more ironic. So, instead of bucking up and finding the strength to take off his blinders, Oedipus turns away and refuses to open his eyes. In these ways, Oedipus can see but remains blind. Because Jocasta is not willing to see that Oedipus, the man she married, is actually her son, she is perpetuating the idea of keeping up her blinders. Jocasta refuses to accept the truth and in this way she is blind. Aside from Jocasta, the numerous inhabitants of Oedipus’s kingdom are also blind. When Tiresias comes to the palace to reveal the true story of Oedipus and his parentage,

More about How Is Oedipus Weak

Open Document