Oedipus: BlindnessEssay Preview: Oedipus: BlindnessReport this essayBlindness in OedipusOedipus 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. Youre 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 seethe 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.
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Teiresias gives this as an example of a blind man in the West who was confronted with injustice:
“You have eyes, you have eyes to see. You do not see yourself but you seethe horror shadowing every step of your life.
Teiresias is talking about the blind man, but his life is not at rest. He had eyes in the West when Teiresias saw him, but not now. The blind man, as if being unaware, sees himself and others. He has eyes that look and feel through your eyes–a blind man as if seeing himself, and the rest of his lives not at rest. He seethe horror shadowing every step of his life,when actually he has no idea.
“You have eyes, you have eyes to see. You do not see yourself but you seethe horror shadowing every step of your life.
“A man from the West will often die, if he looks at the things around him, he will not look any different from others, for a man has eyes and seethe horror shadowing every step of his life,when actually he has no idea,the blind man and the rest of his lives not at rest.
“You blind men will look much better but your life will be less miserable. Your life will be no better. You blind men, you blind men, you blind men, your life will be no better.
“”You are blind.””
“Oedipus, you are stupid… You’ve never been a victim of any of these. You have never been called a ‘blind man.’ Oedipus is mistaken about your own life, but it has been your whole life. You see and feel and taste and feel what other people may or may not see. But you cannot find other victims in your life; for when you look at others all through the world, and realize they are not here to see how you feel–and you, your mind, looks at what people are thinking or feeling–you will become a blind man. Now hear me speak.You insulted me. You mocked me. You called me blind. Now see. You shall know.”(551-512)
The other side of the story: the blind man being the blind man of an uncreative civilization.
On this side of the story is the story of Oedipus who saw and was taught, when truly he was blind, that when the blind man looked into what people are thinking or feeling (or feeling) he felt, that when the blind man perceived their thinking or feeling but did not see from what they perceive he saw in how they feel. Teiresias sees the blind man without even looking at himself. When I quote Oedipus and Oedipus the blind man and the blind man are connected as one thing. It is that blind man who seeth horror. It is that blind man who seeth terror. It is that blind man who seeth terror.
It may very well be said that the world was filled
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Teiresias gives this as an example of a blind man in the West who was confronted with injustice:
“You have eyes, you have eyes to see. You do not see yourself but you seethe horror shadowing every step of your life.
Teiresias is talking about the blind man, but his life is not at rest. He had eyes in the West when Teiresias saw him, but not now. The blind man, as if being unaware, sees himself and others. He has eyes that look and feel through your eyes–a blind man as if seeing himself, and the rest of his lives not at rest. He seethe horror shadowing every step of his life,when actually he has no idea.
“You have eyes, you have eyes to see. You do not see yourself but you seethe horror shadowing every step of your life.
“A man from the West will often die, if he looks at the things around him, he will not look any different from others, for a man has eyes and seethe horror shadowing every step of his life,when actually he has no idea,the blind man and the rest of his lives not at rest.
“You blind men will look much better but your life will be less miserable. Your life will be no better. You blind men, you blind men, you blind men, your life will be no better.
“”You are blind.””
“Oedipus, you are stupid… You’ve never been a victim of any of these. You have never been called a ‘blind man.’ Oedipus is mistaken about your own life, but it has been your whole life. You see and feel and taste and feel what other people may or may not see. But you cannot find other victims in your life; for when you look at others all through the world, and realize they are not here to see how you feel–and you, your mind, looks at what people are thinking or feeling–you will become a blind man. Now hear me speak.You insulted me. You mocked me. You called me blind. Now see. You shall know.”(551-512)
The other side of the story: the blind man being the blind man of an uncreative civilization.
On this side of the story is the story of Oedipus who saw and was taught, when truly he was blind, that when the blind man looked into what people are thinking or feeling (or feeling) he felt, that when the blind man perceived their thinking or feeling but did not see from what they perceive he saw in how they feel. Teiresias sees the blind man without even looking at himself. When I quote Oedipus and Oedipus the blind man and the blind man are connected as one thing. It is that blind man who seeth horror. It is that blind man who seeth terror. It is that blind man who seeth terror.
It may very well be said that the world was filled
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 shes 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 LIGHTnever again flood these eyes with your white radiance, oh gods,my eyes. All, allthe oracles have proven true. I, Oedipus, Iam the childof 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 Oedipuss horrorat his fate, his blindness, and the mortification of becoming aware (both of hisfate and of his blindness) is shame: shame over not having seen, at not havingbeen able to see, and at Oedipuss realization that blindness has brought aboutthe very outcome he wished to avoid; shame