Theatre history and practice

¶ … Vision Explored in Othello and Oedipus

Sight, as wonderful as it is, cannot help the individual that refuses to see circumstances around him or her. Some people can be blind to what is happening in their lives with their eyes wide open. Two plays that demonstrate how vision has nothing to do with sight are William Shakespeare's Othello and Sophocles' Oedipus. Othello and Oedipus are blessed with eyes that see but they do not have the vision they need to make rational, sound judgments when it comes to their lives. They cannot see things as they actually are and are cursed with uncertain vision as a result. Both authors deal with this uncertain vision similarly, demonstrating how the truth is dangerous and deadly. Both men encounter difficulty when it comes to facing and handling the truth and they illustrate the frailty of man when driven by emotion.

Fate becomes a significant aspect of examining these two plays because both men were in control of the circumstances around them. Oedipus was not going to give up until he knew the truth and Othello felt he had enough evidence to convict Desdemona. Both men are responsible for their own fate yet they become so wrapped up in their "missions," they forget the power they have over their own lives. Othello allows Iago to fill his mind with doubt. Desdemona and her truth are essentially worthless because it does not exact the same amount of power over Othello as his jealousy does. In short, his jealousy crushes her love with one fail swoop. To make a point about blindness, Sophocles makes Tiresias physically blind. He may be blind but he knows the truth and this truth gets him absolutely nowhere. Upon hearing it, Oedipus becomes enraged and claims Tiresias is full of nothing but obscenities. Yet he explains things clearly when he tells Oedipus with perfect vision, he is "blind to the corruption" (Sophocles 471) of his life. Through both of these men, Sophocles allows us to see how easy it is to formulate false truths from information we gather that is influenced by our perceptions and emotions. Both men blow their chances and can blame no one but themselves for their fate.

One of the primary differences with both plays is how the main characters interact with their versions of the truth. Othello cannot tell truth from reality because Iago is there to bring confusion. Iago is sneaky and takes advantage of Othello's trusting nature, which demonstrates that one can be trusting and very stupid. Othello allows Iago to influence him because he thinks Iago cares for him but that concern is fake. Iago is a convincing actor and he pulls the proverbial wool over Othello's eyes with little more than hearsay. He knows Othello is jealous and he also knows jealousy is one emotion that requires very little evidence once it is set in motion. By the end of the play, Othello does not even try to seek out the truth. When he finally talks to Desdemona, he is so outraged what she has to say does not matter. His mind is already made up and she does not stand a chance. Truth becomes apparent for him when it is too late. He tells Lodovico that he is Desdemona's murderer and that he "loved not wisely, but too well" (Shakespeare V.ii. 240). Oedipus, too, becomes aware of his own foolishness when it is too late for him to correct anything. Truth, they discover, can be quite far from what they once believed.

Oedipus does not suffer from jealousy but he does fall victim to arrogance. It can be just as damaging as jealousy when it comes to clouding judgment and limiting logic. With Oedipus, Sophocles allows the play to come full circle with the chorus and their interpretation. Oedipus has the additional benefit of others pointing him in the right direction. While Iago tempts Othello to lean toward evil, Oedipus is surrounded by people that urge him to avoid heartbreak by looking away from the truth. Othello's uncertain vision ends with when his jealousy takes over. Once in the clutches of that monster, he does not stand a chance when it comes logic. Oedipus and Othello learn their lessons and Sophocles brings the chorus into the equation by allowing them to reiterate the point of how mankind is his own worst enemy sometimes.