Oedipus the King

Oedipus the King

Blindness and the Pursuit of Truth in Oedipus the King by Sophocles

In Aristotle's Poetics, he discussed his theory of tragedy, introducing the concepts of tragic flaw or hamartia, which serves as the catalyst for the protagonist's downfall or for the tragedy of the story to happen. He determined a tragedy as a "drama" that brings about a "sorrowful conclusion, arousing fear and pity in the audience" (Roberts and Jacobs, 1998:1189). Tragic stories are identified through three (3) characteristics or elements: first, the protagonist, usually a male, must be of noble stature; second, the protagonist or tragic hero must possess a tragic flaw or "hamartia" that shall become his downfall at the end of the story; and third, the hero's downfall must come with a self-realization on his part, making him a 'reformed' individual even if a tragic outcome happens to him.

These elements speak true of Oedipus' character in the tragedy Oedipus the King by Sophocles. His story is a life determined by hamartia, wherein his tragic flaw would be his desire to 'uncover' the truth and defy fate by avoiding Teiresia's prophecy that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his mother. Ironically, in his desire to uncover the truth about his life and the death of his father, Laius, he ended up 'blinding' himself as he discovered the truth behind his father's death. The theme of blindness in the play aptly suits Oedipus' character, as he embodies blindness both figuratively and literally. Oedipus' figurative blindness is a paradox, as he failed to see the truth in his actions, that his determination to escape Fate only brought him closer to the 'truth' of Teiresias' prophecy. His literal blindness, meanwhile, demonstrates the real truth about himself: his desire to blind himself from the truth negated his initial desire to uncover the truth about himself and his parents.

Teiresias, as a blind prophet, represented the Fate of Oedipus, who was 'blinded' by his inability to accept his fate; the prophet also symbolized the literal 'blindness' of Oedipus at the end of the novel. As the blind prophet, Teiresias' knowledge about Oedipus' real identity prompted him to allude only, and not directly identify, to Oedipus the identity of Laius' murderer: "Thou art the man / Thou the accursed polluter of this land... thou art the murderer of the man / Whose murderer thou pursuest." Sophocles' use of the words "polluter," "murderer," and "pursuest" reflects the role Oedipus plays, which includes being the murdered of Laius, 'usurpation' of the title of King of Thebes, and as the persecutor of Laius' killer (himself).