Oedipus Rex Quote Analysis

The images of vision and blindness are an important part to the theme of ignorance of truth in the play because it relates to why Oedipus blinds himself instead of joining Jocasta in suicide. In the play there were many parts where Oedipus was at the verge of truth and yet he could not see it because of his ignorance even though he had eyes, yet Tiresias who is blind can see clearly of the terrible things that happened and will happen. In the quote said by Oedipus while arguing with Tiresias, “Oh I will let loose, have such fury in me now I see it all. You helped hatch the plot, you did the work, yes, short of killing him with your own hands – and given eyes I’d say you did killing single-handed” (395-397) is ironic because Oedipus said he has given eyes and he accuses of Tiresias did the killing because Oedipus can see things clearly and acknowledges the truth, but in contrast he was blinded by his anger and ignorance when Tiresias accused him of doing it.

Later in the argument, Tiresias said another quote about truth and blindness to Oedipus “You cannot imagine…I tell you, you and your loved ones live together in infamy, you cannot see how far you’ve gone in guilt” (417-419), this quote explains how Tiresias knows the suffering and sees the truth even he is blind, yet Oedipus was blind to the guilty things he had done which is very ironic.

Towards the ending of the paragraph after Oedipus has stabbed his eyes out, Oedipus said “… I, with my eyes, how could I look my father in the eyes when I go down to death? Or mother, so abused…worse yet, the sight of my children… how could I look in their

eyes? No not with these eyes of mine, never” (1501-1508) with his eyes blind, now Oedipus can avoid looking at his mother and father when he is once dead with the horrible deeds he had done, and his children should not be looked at with his eyes because it was his eyes that was blind to the whole truth and it was his blindness that caused so much pain and infamy upon his family. Oedipus blinds himself to live and suffer instead of joining Jocasta’s escape of suffering because he is a tragic hero and living with sufferings and guilt is the only triumph for Oedipus.