In the play “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles, blindness is more than just the literal definition, it extends to lack of self-awareness. The protagonist Oedipus suffers from metaphorical blindness and later suffers physical blindness as a result of lack of self awareness. Terisias is a significant character because his blindness is limited to only being physical, but he is self-aware and insightful to the truth. Blindness is not necessarily a disability, rather can be a defining feature in a person’s identity.
Teresias who is physically blind in this play knows the truth about Oedipus’ past; in this case the play supports the opinion that “people are better dead than alive and blind.” Teiresias was blind in the play but had full self awareness; Tieresias is blind but yet knows even more than people in the city who …show more content…
Oedipus would have been better off dead than to marry his mother and kill his father this supports the opinion that “people are better dead than alive and blind.”He was blind because he did not know any truth about himself not even who his real parents were, “At a feast, a drunken man maundering in his cups/ Cries out Oedipus is not his fathers son!”(Sophocles II. 253-254). At this point Oedipus starts having doubts about his awareness and what his true identity is and this makes him really angry. Oedipus asked his parents the next day about the rants of the drunken man and they lied to him, “The next day I visited/ My father and mother, and questioned them. They stormed,/Calling it all the slanderous rant of a fool;/ And this relieved me. Yet the suspicion/ Remained always aching in my mind;”(Sophocles II.256-260). Oedipus was bothered about the fact that Polybos and Merope might not be his biological parents but still slacked self awareness which means Oedipus is still blind. This supports the opinion that “people are better dead than alive and
Teresias who is physically blind in this play knows the truth about Oedipus’ past; in this case the play supports the opinion that “people are better dead than alive and blind.” Teiresias was blind in the play but had full self awareness; Tieresias is blind but yet knows even more than people in the city who …show more content…
Oedipus would have been better off dead than to marry his mother and kill his father this supports the opinion that “people are better dead than alive and blind.”He was blind because he did not know any truth about himself not even who his real parents were, “At a feast, a drunken man maundering in his cups/ Cries out Oedipus is not his fathers son!”(Sophocles II. 253-254). At this point Oedipus starts having doubts about his awareness and what his true identity is and this makes him really angry. Oedipus asked his parents the next day about the rants of the drunken man and they lied to him, “The next day I visited/ My father and mother, and questioned them. They stormed,/Calling it all the slanderous rant of a fool;/ And this relieved me. Yet the suspicion/ Remained always aching in my mind;”(Sophocles II.256-260). Oedipus was bothered about the fact that Polybos and Merope might not be his biological parents but still slacked self awareness which means Oedipus is still blind. This supports the opinion that “people are better dead than alive and