Sophocles’s award winning tragedy Oedipus Rex can be at times disturbing and gory, but it is attention grabbing overall. In a world where people are destined for good or evil and knowledge is blinded by ignorance, one can say it is a tale about life. A life in which one’s worst fears became reality and the truth is hidden behind a clear screen. The various symbols of Oedipus Rex help to illustrate the theme that the truth will always be revealed no matter how much one may deny it. The symbol of sight versus blindness represents the idea that Oedipus has sight but is blinded entirely by the fate the gods have placed upon him. In the play, Oedipus becomes furious at Teiresias for telling him the truth of his prophecy, so in denial he begins
…show more content…
In order to obtain this knowledge he called upon a messenger that turned out to know a little more than expected about his own truth. Oedipus and the Messenger converse, “ From what did you save me?’ ‘Your ankles should tell you that’ ‘Ah, stranger, why do you speak of that childhood pain?’ ‘I cut the bonds that tied your ankles together’ ‘I have had that mark as long as I could remember” (Sophocles 3.977-982). Here one can see how Oedipus is finally discovering how he got the marks on his ankles which is surprising since he lived with them his entire life. This shows that though Oedipus had this mark and acknowledged that it was there his ignorance overpowered his reasoning. Lastly, as Oedipus finally begins to piece things together after finding out about how he obtained his scars on his feet, Jocasta,begins to act strange. Jocasta exclaimed, “For God’s love, let us have no more questioning! Is your life nothing to you? My own is pain enough for me to bear” (Sophocles 3.1004-1005). Seeing Jocasta's reaction one notices a realization in her. She had finally realized that Oedipus was sadly her son but her selfish ways were trying to prevent him from figuring that out for himself. She enjoyed her lifestyle and didn't want anything to get in the way of it. She also did not want Oedipus to find out that she was the one that left him as a baby to die. She truly cared for him and knew that if the truth came out it would inevitably destroy him and their future together. Little did she know that the withholding of truth is what unfortunately lead to her self inflicting
In order to obtain this knowledge he called upon a messenger that turned out to know a little more than expected about his own truth. Oedipus and the Messenger converse, “ From what did you save me?’ ‘Your ankles should tell you that’ ‘Ah, stranger, why do you speak of that childhood pain?’ ‘I cut the bonds that tied your ankles together’ ‘I have had that mark as long as I could remember” (Sophocles 3.977-982). Here one can see how Oedipus is finally discovering how he got the marks on his ankles which is surprising since he lived with them his entire life. This shows that though Oedipus had this mark and acknowledged that it was there his ignorance overpowered his reasoning. Lastly, as Oedipus finally begins to piece things together after finding out about how he obtained his scars on his feet, Jocasta,begins to act strange. Jocasta exclaimed, “For God’s love, let us have no more questioning! Is your life nothing to you? My own is pain enough for me to bear” (Sophocles 3.1004-1005). Seeing Jocasta's reaction one notices a realization in her. She had finally realized that Oedipus was sadly her son but her selfish ways were trying to prevent him from figuring that out for himself. She enjoyed her lifestyle and didn't want anything to get in the way of it. She also did not want Oedipus to find out that she was the one that left him as a baby to die. She truly cared for him and knew that if the truth came out it would inevitably destroy him and their future together. Little did she know that the withholding of truth is what unfortunately lead to her self inflicting