A Hopeless Fate Essay, Research Paper
It was once said by Ralph Waldo Emmerson, Where there is no vision, a people perish. In Sophecles Greek tragedy, Oedipus Rex, the oracle advised Oedipus that he was tomurder his father and marry his mother. As a result, Oedipus tried to change his fate. Oedipus, Jocasta, and Tiresias all demonstrated the concept of blindness in Oedipus Rex. Oedipus, king of Thebes, was immensely blind to his fate. After Oedipus wascalled a changeling by an old drunkard, he began to question his parents, Polybus andMerobe, of Corinth. Though his parents denied the charges, Oedipus was disbelieving anddecided to seek out the truth. After he found the reality of his fate, he left Corinth inorder to abandon his star-crossed fate. Even though Oedipus was told that he would soonmurder his father and marry his mother, he relentlessly killed the old man, better known asKing Laius, at the crossing of Daulia and Delphi. Upon solving the riddle of the sphinx,the people of Thebes named Oedipus king . After many years, Tiresias, an old soothsayer, came to Oedipus and said, I say that you are he whom you seek. You are Laius murderer! Oedipus blindness to who he truly was, and where he actually came from,caused him to be disbelieving of Tiresias story. Likewise, Jocasta, Queen of Thebes and mother of Oedipus, also lacked vision. In
the beginning, Jocasta was blind to Oedipus true identity. Eventually, the queenuncovered the reality of who Oedipus really was. She then began to deny the truth andtold Oedipus, For Heaven s sake, if you care for your own life, don t seek the truth! Iam sick, and that s enough! After this, Jocasta became mute to any further questions Oedipus had. Although it was done out of the goodness of her heart, Jocasta s silenceonly allowed Oedipus blindness to linger on. Perhaps the most irony is shown in the Thebian soothsayer, Tiresias. Though he was physically blind, he was the only character out of the trio who actually had a truevision of the murder. Despite Oedipus urging, Tiresias exclaimed, I will not bringremorse upon myself and upon you. Vain, vain! I will not tell you! Eventually, Oedipuswon Tiresias over, and the truth was revealed to Oedipus. However, Oedipus wasdoubtful of the words the seer told him. Oedipus, Jocasta, and Tiresias all demonstrated the concept of blindness inOedipus Rex. The triad definitely had a substantial impact on the outcome of Oedipus destiny. Although Oedipus tried to change his fate, he was unsuccessful in his attempt. Perhaps one true vision is all that would have been needed to alter Oedipus destiny.