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Theme Of Ignorance In Oedipus

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In the tragedy Oedipus Rex written by Sophocles, King Oedipus was destined to a tragic fate. He was prophesied to kill his father, King Laius and marry his mother Jocasta. Throughout the story, many symbols reveal hidden meanings related to the ignorance Oedipus displays towards his fate. Sophocles uses Oedipus Rex to convey that ignorance cannot alter fate. The symbols of light versus dark and sight versus blindness help to reinforce this theme.
Throughout the story, Oedipus’s ignorance takes part in the symbols of light, his awareness of his placement in the prophecy, and dark, his lack of awareness when it comes to his past and how it is entwined with the prophecy. Jocasta and Oedipus turned a blind eye to the prophecy and committed acts of hubris in order to avoid their fate. In scene four, it was revealed by a messenger how Oedipus was the culprit, he was looking for all along. …show more content…

Oedipus did not accept what was being told to him. Teiresias spoke truthfully yet Oedipus became angry and spiteful, sending Teiresias away. Not a word that was told to Oedipus was considered my him, proving his blindness and lack of consideration towards the situation. Referring back to his self blinding, Oedipus at that time had succumbed to a horrifying act instead of accepting what was shared. The news came tumbling down and his actions were severe. He yells “No more shall you look on the misery about me, the horrors of my own doing! (Exodus. 1221-1222)”. The last thing Oedipus wanted to consider was him being the man in the prophecy, but in this moment it was confirmed. He is appalled that so many people knew for so long yet he was blindsided by his acts of hubris. He is horrified by the fact that he actually murdered his own father and wed his mother. Oedipus felt so outraged and disgusted he had no other choice but to perform self

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His parents chose to abandon him because of their fear of the oracle ’s foresight, he chose to leave because of his caution of it and he blinded himself because he’d driven himself to find the truth of his parentage. Oedipus’ situation caused him to do all

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Oedipus discovers the body and is in so much grief he uses the golden pins that held Jocasta’s dress and “spears the pupils of his eyes” (93). This unbearable mishap is the last article of the proclamation that Oedipus carries out. Furthermore, in an attempt to keep his children, Creon advises him to “not be the master in everything. What you once won and held did not stay with you all your lifelong” (107). Oedipus was once a man that was not physically blind but in truth he was.

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Oedipus denies the truth and faces the consequences later on in the play. He gets furious when everyone is blaming him for killing Laius. As he is blaming others, hubris appears within his personality. Oedipus becomes blinder as hubris takes over him.

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Throughout the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles, there is continual use of vision and blindness foreshadowing the events to come near the end of the play due to Oedipus’ ignorance. Ironically, most of the main characters with their sight still intact are blind to the truth and revelations that come to pass while the few that are blind see what is to come and what becomes of those spoken of in the prophecy. In a paradoxical trend, sight in the play can equal deception or ignorance while blindness represents truth or revelation. Oedipus is a brash man.

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Oedipus was a tragic hero he was seen as a great man and was king,but he fell to misfortune because of his disability to see past his pride and anger which led to his demise. By not being able to see past his pride and anger Oedipus was not able to to avoid his prophetic destiny. He was blinded by his pride and anger so much that it became his tragic flaw ultimately leading him to his

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