Ignorance In Sophocles 'Oedipus The King'

There is a proverb that states, “The eyes are useless when the mind is blind.” This quote refers to metaphorical blindness, which is defined as when one is unable to comprehend the truth about situations and events. Rather than having the ability to perceive what is happening in reality, one is naïve and cannot see the veracity in events. One of the most well-known examples of metaphorical blindness is the protagonist Oedipus. Although he is exposed to signs of his predetermined fate, he chooses to not believe the prophecy in attempts to avoid the truth.

Oedipus the King Imagine living a joyful life of comorbidities with your beautiful wife and children, only to realize one day that everything you knew was a lie. Examining a work of literature such as Oedipus the King, by Sophocles (406B.C) is an extremely difficult to understand, without using resources such as the schools of criticism it would be even harder. Sophocles (406 B.C) writes a play that although at first sigh seems like the unwanted and unavoidable fate of a character. After taking a closer look, it is not fate but instead it is a subconscious desire that ends up fulfilling the prophecy. Using two schools of criticism, physiological and social-historical we will examine a child’s subconscious love for his mother and Oedipus and Jocasta’s subconscious knowledge of the the prophecy.

Is ignorance really bliss or is it best to know and cope with life as it is? In Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Oedipus learns the harsh truth of his life situation after living completely blind to reality. He goes through life oblivious of significant events that directly impact his fate. When stating Oedipus is blind to reality, it is representative of his ignorance, when he becomes aware of his true identity, Oedipus literally blinds himself as an act of aggression and misery. At the point the blind prophet, Tiresias, comes to help Oedipus resolve the town’s crisis, it is obvious he knows Oedipus better than Oedipus knows himself.

The battle against society to find one’s truth is a crucial element in both the play Oedipus the King and the film Minority Report. The measures that certain characters take to reveal or hide their own truth represents the desire to mask and unmask hidden knowledge. In Oedipus the King, author Sophocles reveals how Oedipus ultimately dooms himself during his quest to learn the truth about his past. Director Steven Spielberg visually depicts actor Tom Cruise in a fight against the system he helped create, combating the truth which he cannot fathom. Many of the key motifs observed throughout both stories, an example being the tussle between sight and blindness.

In the short story “Oedipus the King” the author Sophocles uses dramatic irony in multiple situations to show Oedipus’s ignorance. When the city of Thebes comes under plague, the priest calls upon Oedipus be cause “the land…call[s] Oedipus its savoir since [he] saved it once”(KO54-55). In this scene the city of Thebes trust that Oedipus’s capabilities can save the city, be cause he has not let them down before. But the city of Thebes or Oedipus does not know he is the reason for the curse on Thebes. Continuing throughout the story, Oedipus finds his mother who he has believed all this time to be his wife.

.In what ways is Oedipus a good king? In what ways is he a good person? How do these virtues result in negative consequences for Oedipus? How do they relate to the city of Thebes?

Throughout the works of Sophocles, suffering is often a central theme. ¨Oedipus the King,¨ for instance, depicts a complicated set of characters where suffering has been brought upon others because of Oedipus. The play connects this idea through the concept that fate cannot be fought, arrogance can be a downfall, and there are more things power than an individual. The overall concept of these occurrences led to the suffering brought upon others.

Sophocles was one of the greatest playwrights of antiquity, and this of course is not without reason. In his play Oedipus Rex, Sophocles uses a catastrophic tale to both teach and tell us that no matter what we do, our fate cannot be avoided. Oedipus is the wisest mortal man in Thebes, so it is up to him to find out who killed Laios, a fact unknown to him though, is that he is the murderer of the ex-king Laios. Both his hot temper and the endless pursuit of truth will lead Oedipus into a sticky situation. In order to find the killer of the old king and save his city, Oedipus will learn things about himself he wishes he never had, and in the process fulfill an old prophecy.

The story oedipus rex is one fatal tragic with lots of twists and turns. Oedipus rex is a story about a kid who is born in the world in the city thebes and is born to the world with a horrible prophet. The oracle tells oedipus father king laius that his son will grow up and kill his father and marry his mother. Being told this king laius casted oedipus to the be killed by being thrown in the river but the shepherd had pity on the kid and pierced his ankles giving him the name oedipus. The nature of human will versus fate is the most important theme in oedipus rex by sophocles.

If given the choice, is knowledge superior to the contentment of ignorance? In many cases, knowledge leads to sorrow and negative consequences; on the other hand, ignorance allows only for satisfied peace. Sophocles’s play, Oedipus Rex, addresses the idea of blissful ignorance as the preferred state of mind. Not only this, the play, through the trials of Teiresias and Jocasta, reflects upon how one’s naivety and inattention to the truth ensures a carefree and peaceful life.