Oedipus_The_King

Oedipus The King Throughout the play Oedipus the King the theme of blindness can be seen. Sophocles uses Tiresias as a major vehicle in establishing this theme. Tiresias’ physical blindness is used to accentuate Oedipus’ blindness to the truth of his past, and present. Tiresias is a prophet of Apollo and can see the corruption of Oedipus’ life despite the fact that he is blind and therefore cannot physically see. Oedipus, however, has physical sight yet is blind to the truth of his life. As the citizens of Thebes are told to find the killer of Laius to end the plague that has fallen on the city, Oedipus issues a curse upon the killer and those who aid the murderer in remaining hidden. He even goes so far as to issue the curse unto himself: “I curse myself as well… if by any chance he proves to be an intimate of our house, here at my hearth, with my full knowledge may the curse I just called down on him strike me!” (Sophocles line 285). Tiresias then informs Oedipus, reluctantly, on the reality of the situation. oedipus, truth, himself, curse, tiresias, thebes, reality, present, oedipus’, life, corruption, blindness, blind, yet, upon, until, tiresias’, theme, sophocles, situation, put, plague, physical, past, killer, eyes, end, blinds, world, wife, well…, vehicle, validity, unto, understands