Theme Of Pride In Oedipus The King

In the play “Oedipus the King” written by Sophocles, blindness portrays a significant theme in the play. Throughout the play Oedipus is seeking clarity on who killed the previous king, Lauis, and in searching for the killer he finds his own demise. Oedipus can literally see, unlike the blind prophet Teiresias, but lacks the ability to “see” the reality of his actions. To his own dismay, Oedipus learns that he accidentally killed his father, married his mother, and eventually blinds himself as a result of his wrongdoing. In “Oedipus the King” the theme of blindness and pride plays an key role in the downfall of Oedipus in the play. Throughout the play Oedipus questions the legitimacy of the blind prophet Teiresias. Teiresias, along with the countless others Oedipus brings in to ask about the death of Lauis, tell Oedipus that he does not need to know the truth. When the play was performed in ancient Greece, the audience knew the story of Oedipus. The audience knows “Oedipus for his intelligence and insight” (Haque). The audience knows that Oedipus is actually quite intelligent and beat the Sphinx’s puzzle …show more content…
Oedipus’ pride has “eyes when his literal eyes are unable to see; eventually, his mind 's eye becomes active” after he blinds himself after the truth is evident to him (Haque). Because Oedipus was so confident that he did not murder his father nor share a bed with his mother, he pressed into others to seek the answers which led to his downfall. His prideful nature led to his figurative blindness prior to the legitimate blindness he caused himself. In the ancient Greek culture they viewed blindness and “considered it as a punishment from the gods, but the victim may also be blessed with extraordinary brainpower” (Haque). Once Oedipus can “see” the horrible crimes he has committed he blinds himself and fulfills the prophesy Teiresias predicted and tried to save him from