Oedipus Sight vs. sightlessness

What is sight? Is it understanding? Knowledge? Truth? Can the sighted be blind? Can a blind man see? When the truth becomes too terrible, does one choose not to see? In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, the characters of Tiresias and Oedipus form a complete contrast to one another. Tiresias, a blind man, can “see” the truth about Oedipus, yet Oedipus, in all of his physical perfection, cannot. Although Tiresias is physically blind, he sees the truth …

…was to block out that light from ever entering him again. He proclaims, “What good were eyes to me? Nothing I could see could bring me joy.” Once Oedipus sees the truth, his entire world collapses. Although now he is physically blind, he, like Tiresias, now “sees”. Both Tiresias and Oedipus prove that seeing the truth does not necessarily involve physical eyesight. Tiresias is literally blind while Oedipus is “blind” toward his prophecies…. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**