Blindness in The Odyssey Literary Analysis Essay Example

In the play, Oedipus starts blind to the truth, but can physically see. During the play, there is a change in motion that affects Oedipus. In the play, Oedipus switches from blind to the truth and can physically see, to open to the truth and physically blind.  

At the beginning of the play, Oedipus declared king. He has nothing to worry about. He has children with Queen Jocasta and he is living happily. He is living happily until the Oracle Tiresias talk about the murder of Laius. Due to what Laius says, it causes trouble for Oedipus and he opens up to the truth. Due to the truth being told, it causes Oedipus to suffer a downfall.  At the beginning of the passage, Oedipus is working as a messenger for the Delphic god. Along the way on the highway, he unknowingly killed his father Laius. Oedipus arrives at Thebes, he answers a riddle of the Sphinx, and the Thebans declare him king. Oedipus now is control of Thebes. Due to King Laius being dead, Oedipus has then declared espouse of the queen, Jocasta. Oedipus and Jocasta have children in the play. Oedipus is living nice and easy due to him being blind to the truth. He is happy and feels like he has nothing to worry about. He is blind to the truth and can physically see.   

Oedipus sends Tiresias and asks him about what he knows about the murder. Tiresias arrives and meets with Oedipus. When Oedipus asks about Laius’ murder Tiresias is afraid to speak because it would negatively impact Oedipus. Oedipus is annoyed and starts calling Tiresias a bad Oracle to anger him. He calls Tiresias dumb and blind, so he is not that helpful. Tiresias is angered and then says that Oedipus is the murderer of Laius. Oedipus does not believe that he is the murderer, so he starts calling Tiresias a liar. Oedipus says that there is no way that he could be the murderer because he was never near Laius when he was murdered.  

Tiresias walks out of the scene, and Oedipus threatens Creon with death due to siding with Tiresias. Jocasta walks in and asks why men argue. Oedipus replies charging him with the murder of Laius. Oedipus is still blind to the truth, so he believes so he did nothing wrong. Jocasta tells Oedipus that prophecies are not always truthful, as with her prophecy it was false because her son was not able to kill the husband, Laius. Jocasta states that the king was murdered at crossroads, and Oedipus gets suspicious because he had killed people that bumped into him at the crossroads. Oedipus says that he might be the murderer because when he was the prince of Corinth, someone told him that he wasn’t the son of the king and queen. Therefore, he traveled to the oracle of Delphi, to ask if what he had heard was true, but didn’t answer. The oracle did say that he would murder his father and sleep with his mother. Oedipus orders the shepherd that lived from the railroads, and asks who gave him the baby of Oedipus, and threatens he will torture if he doesn’t answer. He tells him that it was Jocasta himself that had given him the baby. Jocasta leaves and runs back to the palace to hang herself. Oedipus realizes the truth, that he is the son of Laius and Jocasta, and runs back to the palace to find Jocasta dead. Oedipus blinds himself, due to the fact he doesn’t want to look at his children. He says as well he doesn’t want to see his parents in the afterworld. Last, he says that he isn't worth seeing Apollo’s light. He used Jocasta’s brooches to blind himself because he realizes that he should leave the dress in place and pinned with the brooches, symbolically and physically. Oedipus is now blind physically but can see the truth. He has had his tragic fall and now he is in his point of life where he wants to be exiled. He feels horrible for the trouble he caused and wants to be punished for it. His last request is for Creon to send him away from Thebes and look for his daughters, which he accepts.