Who Is Oedipus Blinds Himself

Oedipus, the extraordinary hero who rescued countless lives from the wrath of the Sphinx, actually ends up confronting a miserable end. Oedipus, once a prideful, respected being, commits sinful actions by murdering his father and marrying his mother, without his awareness. He discovers that the prophecy by Apollo is true; he does end up killing his father and sharing his bed with his mother. “And you, his wife, I’ve touched your body with these, the hands that killed your husband cover you with blood” (Oedipus the King 206). Upon realizing this, Oedipus blinds himself, for he is unable to handle the burden of pain and misery. At the end of the story, he is put into exile by his brother-in-law. Oedipus loses everything that he once attained. He witnesses the loss of his …show more content…
The mask portrays Oedipus, as a whole. It reveals who Oedipus was before and who he is now. The left side of the mask is characterized by a bright yellow color, which symbolizes joy. This depicts Oedipus’ past: a joyous life as a king. On the other hand, the right side color is dull black, which represents Oedipus’ current self: a miserable, blind man with no family and respect. In other words, the mask shows Oedipus’ life in general; both the past and the present are evidently depicted. His left eye is outlined with bright, sparkly yellow, which reveals the fact that in the past, he only had to witness blissful moments, without a worry in mind. His right eye is outlined with dark green to show how now, Oedipus is unlike his past self; he no longer wishes to have vision. Thus, since he is “sick” and fatigue of witnessing any more unfortunate events, his eyes are outlined in green. From the fatigue eyes, thick,