Oedipus Rex

Drama | Sophocles

What logic does Oedipus give for his self-blinding?

Premium

What reason or logic does Oedipus give for his self-blinding NU nbsp Oedipus Rex BC by Sophocles - B C is a well-known tragedy nbsp In this tragedy Oedipus blinds himself when he realizes that he has killed his father and married his mother He believes his self-blinding is a form of punishment for his crimes and a way to atone for his sins The Reason Oedipus Blinds Himself nbsp Here are some reasons for Oedipus s blindness which are given below Tragedy of Oedipus Oedipus the protagonist fits the classical definition of a tragic hero He is noble and virtuous but his fate is tragic due to a tragic flaw Oedipus's tragic flaw is the ignorance of his true identity He unknowingly fulfils the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother He expresses sadness in the following line Alas how terrible is wisdom when it brings no

profit to the wise Symbol of Personal Transformation Oedipus blinds himself when he realizes he has committed the forbidden act He also believes that it is better to live in darkness and blindness rather than to see a terrible truth and live He feels guilt and shame for his previous activities He blinds himself as a form of punishment for his crimes Thus Oedipus's self-blindness symbolizes his transformation and redemption Oedipus says nbsp Why should I have eyes when there was nothing sweet for me to see Spiritual Redemption To rectify himself Oedipus blinds his two eyes with the pins from Jocasta s clothing He announces himself as a cursed man in Thebes In the play's final scene Oedipus says nbsp I did not know what I was doing But now that I do I will suffer for it Oedipus realizes that he has been blind to the truth of his own life and believes that his physical blindness is necessary to achieve spiritual redemption He describes that blindness will help him to open his inner eyes and to get redemption in the court of justice Besides Oedipus blinds himself because he cannot see the truth though he has two clear eyes and is ignorant of God's prophecy In termination we can say Oedipus' self-blinding is a dramatic climax to the play It points to the tragic consequences of pride and the limitations of human knowledge

Continue Reading

Sign in and subscribe to unlock the full content