Oedipus Mocks Teiresias Blindness example essay topic

In the Greek tragedy, Oedipus Rex written by Sophocles in 430 B.C., Oedipus' character is ruled by destiny and conflict. Throughout the play, Oedipus battles with attempts to understand his true identity and fate. With the use of dramatic irony, in a case such as this, the audience knows the outcome of the story already, but the hero does not, his actions seem ignorant or inappropriate in the face of what is to come. By using irony in a play, playwrights can tantalize pre-enlightened viewers into wanting to see how the events occurring mentally affect the main character, in this case, Oedipus.

Sophocles, knowing that his audience is aware of the outcome of the play utilizes foreknowledge in order to create various situations in which dramatic irony plays a crucial role. Through his use of irony Sophocles manages to avoid simply retelling an old tale, though the audience is mindful of the story's end they are intrigued by the irony present in the story. The reader is shown an example of irony within the opening of the play when Oedipus pronounces his curse upon the head of King Laios' murderer and that bringing to justice of Laios' killer will rid the kingdom of the plague that has infected it. This is evident within the following statement, "If any man knows by whose hand Laios, son of Labdakos, / Met his death, I direct that man to tell me everything... ". (1.1. 10-11).

This statement is extremely ironic due to the fact that Oedipus is the murderer of which he has intentions on punishing. Although the audience is aware of the outcome of the play, it is clear that Oedipus is not, and he is totally unaware that his destiny is awaiting him. Cheatwood 2 Oedipus possesses an extreme determination for truth and justice, which ultimately leads to his own downfall. He tells the people in the kingdom of his intentions to avenge the murder of Laios, no matter what barriers are placed in his way. Oedipus claims that the killer of Laios might make an attempt to try and kill him.

"Whoever killed King Laios might-who knows? - / Lay violent hands even on me - and soon" (1.1. 141-42). Ironically, Oedipus feels that by finding the killer of Laios, he will be in every way, protecting himself. This is obviously not true due to the lack of knowledge that he has regarding the true finding of the killer; which will in fact not protect him at all, but destroy him in every way possible. The entire idea of assisting the kingdom of ridding the plague is extremely ironic based on the fact that it was Oedipus himself, who caused the infection in the first place.

Oedipus is an intelligent man, an ideal king and a genuinely good human being. He has the many qualities of a good man, but he carries the characteristics of his destruction within himself. Teiresias is aware of how horrible the truth is about Oedipus' fate, but is reluctant to reveal what he knows. He therefore speaks obscure lines deliberately intended to be ironic, and cover up the truth. "You can not see the wretchedness of your life, ... / Who are your father and mother?

/ You do not even know the blind wrongs you have done... ". (1.1. 197, 99-200). It is quite ironic that Oedipus mocks Teiresias' blindness, when in fact Teiresias is the blind man who sees the truth, and Oedipus is the seeing man who is temporarily blind of his very own faults and in the end truly blinds himself because of this same reason. Oedipus makes this known by Cheatwood 3 stating, "Blind though you are... you all but killed him with your own hands: if you had eyes, ... ". (1.1.

87,128-29). In response to this, Teiresias states, "You mock my blindness, do you? / But I say that you, with both eyes, are blind... ". (1.1. 195-96).

The fact that Teiresias along with the audience knows what is going to happen at the end of the play allows this to be a skillful example of irony against Oedipus. Teiresias foresight's Oedipus' downfall, he tells him to think what he says over before attempting to judge others: The man you have been looking for all this time, /The damned man, the murderer of Laios, /That man is in Thebes. To your mind he is foreign-born, /But it will soon be shown that he is a Theban, /A revelation that will fail to please. /A blind man, /Who has eyes now; a penniless man, who is rich now; /And he will go tapping the strange earth with his staff. /To the children with whom he lives now will be / Brother and father... to her / Who bore him, son and husband... /Who came to his father's bed, wet with his father's blood. (1.1.

233-43) This is obviously ironic due to the fact that Oedipus did in fact kill his father and marry his mother and his children are also his siblings. It is also ironic to note that Teiresias' prophecy of Oedipus' fate is almost identical to the Sphinx' riddle - he began as a strong man and is gradually ending cripple. Cheatwood 4 In Greek tragedies, oracles and prophecies are used mostly for the purpose of foreshadowing events as well as helping to create ironies within the play. They are usually unnoticed by the characters within the play, for this reason, irony is created. Although Oedipus made the critical mistake of aspiring to avoid the fate that had fallen upon him, as well as making further mistakes of welcoming further rage because of his displays of extreme pride, it was in the very end of the play when his character caught up with him causing him to bring about his own self destruction. Throughout the play Oedipus was forced to gradually piece together the reality regarding his true existence, and with that he was forced to understand that no matter what an individual's social status or how much power they possess, this does not determine their ultimate destiny.

Due to his many faults, he felt forced to be the cause of his physical impairment. Although aware of the destruction that eventually takes place, the audience begins to feel pity for the once well established character of Oedipus the King who has become nothing more then Oedipus the Vagabond.