Metaphorical Blindness In Oedipus The King

There is a proverb that states, “The eyes are useless when the mind is blind.” This quote refers to metaphorical blindness, which is defined as when one is unable to comprehend the truth about situations and events. Rather than having the ability to perceive what is happening in reality, one is naïve and cannot see the veracity in events. One of the most well-known examples of metaphorical blindness is the protagonist Oedipus. Although he is exposed to signs of his predetermined fate, he chooses to not believe the prophecy in attempts to avoid the truth. The importance of sight is emphasized throughout the play; even though Oedipus has vision and his ally Teiresias is blind, Teiresias is able to decipher the truth surrounding the prophecy.

As of result, she did not know that she married her son. She convinces herself that Oedipus cannot be her son by creating a fabricated story to explain why the prophecy is not true. She concludes, “No, from now on I will not give a second’s thought to the words of the oracles” (39). This exposes how Jocasta suppresses her memories of the truth within the prophecy. Studies in psychology prove that suppressing thoughts and memories can lead to believing lies, along with completely forgetting the truth. “It is now clear that the influence of suppression extends beyond areas of the brain associated with conscious memory. This may contribute to making unwanted visual memories less intrusive over time, and perhaps less vivid and detailed” (UC). This explains how Jocasta is blinded from comprehending the truth and that Oedipus is her son. Once she realizes that the prophecy is true, she contributes to Oedipus's metaphorical blindness by trying to stop him from learning about his inescapable fate. She tells him, “If you care for your life…stop now. No more! My pain is hard enough. May you never learn who you are” (47). This portrays how Jocasta wants to prevent Oedipus from learning the truth, thus inducing his blindness. It is likely that Jocasta does this in order to protect Oedipus because her blindness ultimately led to her downfall and death.

Initially, the Chorus is enamored of Oedipus because he freed Thebes solving the riddle of the Sphinx. Despite the words of the oracles, the Chorus remains loyal to their king because he liberated them and brought peace to the city. The Chorus questioned, “Is there truth in his art? I am lost. I have no words. I can see neither past nor future. I am adrift on in the wind” (26). This reveals how the Chorus is blinded by admiration because they are conflicted as to whether or not to believe the prophecy. Throughout the tragedy, the Chorus supports and defends Oedipus because they feel indebted to for saving the city. The Chorus states, “I would be called a fool if I abandoned you now. You made this country great” (33). This denotes why the Chorus denies the truth of the prophecy and vindicates Oedipus’s honor as king. When the Chorus finally learns that the oracles were true about his fate, they continue to display feelings of sympathy for Oedipus. Even though the Chorus is angry that Oedipus killed Lauis, they are empathetic and wish that “he may lie in peace” (62). Rather than wanting to seek revenge on Oedipus for killing Lauis, the Chorus accepts that just because a ruler can see the world around him does not mean that the ruler understands what is happening. The Chorus provides an example as to how humans acknowledge and understand flaws, despite the severity of