Essay Example about Blindness and Denial of Oedipus

Oedipus, a thriving king, a noble hero who defeated a Sphinx. He who brought glory over Thebes, now; to see it fail. The great plague brought death, darkness, the end to a great reign. Positively motivated, Oedipus wanted to bring an end to this plague, save his people. Unfortunately, this solution was rather unlikely, the path Oedipus endured was full of denial and sorrow. The road to the truth starts with acceptance, acceptance is the final stage of grief, making embarking on this journey incredibly painful. “To see the truth when the truth is only pain to him who sees.” In the end, what Oedipus did was inexcusable, actions define a person in this case, they describe his maturity. This quote also symbolizes blindness and denial, two things that are common behavioral instincts that Oedipus displays.

In the start, Oedipus was respected as a ruler and hero. With the Oracle’s words and the past’s hidden secrets, unraveling the truth led to a downward spiral of his reputation. When Creon returned to Thebes, his words brought chaos to Oedipus’s mind. When Tiresias visits Oedipus and professes his truth, Oedipus is upset and starts to work up a temper. Questioning these words, “Come here, you pious fraud. Tell me, when did you ever consider yourself a prophet?” (I.I 443-444) Completely and utterly dismissing his presence, a characteristic common in those going through denial. Never considered an ethical, civil, or thought-out response to his issues, Oedipus instead preferred to act spontaneously. Inconsistency and immaturity unfortunately being two major defining characteristics, reflecting to the reader the type of ruler Oedipus was. He cared but wasn’t fit for such a role in his kingdom. Oedipus is an excellent riddle solver, but a ruler was something he was never cut out for.

Taking action, Oedipus declares a curse upon the murderer of the ex-king of Thebes. Little did Oedipus know the irony of this curse. King Laius; Jocasta’s ex-wife, now Oedipus’s wife, was also his father. The family’s past is overcomplicated because of the blindness to the truth. Blindness can cause uncertainty in one’s life, in this case; most certainly blinded Oedipus. “Let that man drag out his life in agony, step by painful step.” (I.I 280-287) Oedipus proclaimed such a speech in which he was the target. However, blindness to the truth allowed the people of Thebes to hold confidence in their future. Words of demand sounded like an advocating step by Oedipus, rather than a plan for a future endeavor.

Accountability, something that makes one feel vulnerable and guilty. Strangely enough, when Oedipus realizes the extent of his actions he does something spontaneous. Having a life-altering experience affects one in all types of ways. The effect of seeing Jocasta, his dead wife, guided Oedipus to the truth. One of the only beneficial choices that Oedipus made was the act of self-mutilation. What he did represented bravery, acceptance, and accountability. But the path to this final truth was far too long. This, unfortunately, is due to denial. “What good were my eyes to me? Nothing I could see could bring me joy.” (I.I 1471-1472) Unfortunately, we don't live in a fairytale, nor did Oedipus. This joy which was only dreamt of amid this plague Oedipus still had hoped to achieve.

Hearing the truth from the start, Oedipus denied it one too many times. The first, Tiresias’s words, then, when the shepherd, a living witness of the terrifying past, speaks to Oedipus. Realization hit Oedipus, he killed his own father. He married his mother, had kids with his mother, an identity crisis to the extreme was finally proved to be true. A fate that Oedipus wanted to deny, to push away, never to be thought of again. Anger was never the answer; Oedipus finally learned when his plans of a curse were brought upon himself, to suffer. Blindness in life, in decisions, and above all in one’s own family. A truth unknown would’ve been better off unsaid. The path to acceptance is one we all learned, through another’s mistakes.